The Smelliest Element - Livermorium - Periodic Table of Videos

TL;DR

Livermorium may be the smelliest element because it sits in group 16, whose hydrogen compounds include foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen selenide, and telluride. Scientists cannot verify the prediction because Livermorium’s four known isotopes have half-lives of only tens of milliseconds, and its hydrogen compound has not been made. Read on to discover how element 116 was created, named, and celebrated in Livermore.

Transcript

• So Livermorium was first made in around 2000. It was made in calcium-48 plus curium-248 reaction. We've since made 4 different isotopes of Livermorium. They all have tens of milliseconds half-lives, so they're pretty short-lived. So unfortunately I can't show you a bottle. It was a very interesting process to name these elements when we got permi... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🔬 Livermorium was named to honor the city, institution, and scientists involved in its discovery.
• 👥 Livermorium is predicted to be one of the smelliest elements in the periodic table due to its group 16 characteristics.
• 🛀 The Livermore community has embraced and celebrated Livermorium, showing support and recognition for its significance.
• 💁 Livermorium's short half-lives make it challenging to isolate and study in a pure form.
• 🌍 The naming process for Livermorium involved collaborations and consensus-building with international scientific colleagues.
• ❣️ Livermorium's unique properties and naming process reflect the complexity and significance of heavy element research.
• 🤽 The mayor of Livermore, a water chemist, played a role in understanding and supporting the naming of Livermorium.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why might Livermorium be the smelliest element?

Livermorium belongs to group 16, where many hydrogen compounds are notably smelly. The transcript cites hydrogen sulfide’s rotten-egg smell, hydrogen selenide, and telluride as reasons to predict that Livermorium might be the smelliest element.

Q: Has Livermorium’s smell ever been verified?

No, its smell has not been verified because scientists have not made its hydrogen compound. Its isotopes last only tens of milliseconds, making such testing very difficult.

Q: How was Livermorium first made?

Livermorium was first made around 2000 through a calcium-48 plus curium-248 reaction. Scientists have since made four different isotopes of the element.

Q: How long do Livermorium isotopes last?

The four Livermorium isotopes discussed have half-lives of tens of milliseconds. Their extremely short existence prevents scientists from keeping a bottle of Livermorium and makes its properties difficult to test.

Q: Why was element 116 named Livermorium?

The name honors the many Livermore scientists involved in heavy-element research, including people who had retired or died. It also recognizes the institution and the city of Livermore rather than singling out one person.

Q: How were the names Livermorium and Flerovium selected?

After receiving permission to name elements 114 and 116, the researchers discussed the choices with their Russian colleagues and reached a consensus. They selected Flerovium for element 114 and Livermorium for element 116.

Q: How did the Livermore community respond to Livermorium’s naming?

The community’s response was highly supportive, and the mayor, a water chemist, was ecstatic about the new element and its name. Livermore now holds a Livermorium Day in late May and has named a downtown park area Livermorium Plaza.

Q: Why would smelling Livermorium be unsafe even if enough existed?

Livermorium is radioactive, so the speaker says a person would not want to put their nose near it. Its very short-lived isotopes also make producing enough material or creating its hydrogen compound impractical.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Livermorium, an element first made in 2000, has short half-lives of milliseconds.

• The naming process involved considerations for honoring scientists and the city of Livermore.

• Livermorium is predicted to be one of the smelliest elements due to its group 16 placement.