Tennessine (Ts) is a synthetic chemical element with atomic number 117 and symbol Ts. It was first synthesized in 2010 by a team of Russian, American, and Japanese scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Tennessine is a member of the halogen group and is the seventh and last element in the periodic table’s seventh period.
Tennessine is a highly radioactive element, with a half-life of only about 20 milliseconds. This means that it decays very quickly, giving off alpha particles as it does so. It is not found naturally on Earth and must be synthesized in a laboratory setting.
Tennessine belongs to a group of elements known as the superheavy elements, which are those with atomic numbers higher than 104. These elements are not found in nature and must be created artificially through nuclear reactions. They are extremely unstable and decay quickly, making them difficult to study and understand.
Despite its short half-life and unstable nature, tennessine has unique properties that make it of interest to scientists. It is thought to have a high melting point and a relatively high atomic mass, which means that it could potentially be used in a variety of applications, such as in the production of fuel for nuclear power plants.
Tennessine was named after the state of Tennessee, where the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a research facility involved in the synthesis of the element, is located. It is the second element named after a U.S. state, following californium (named after California).
Examples of Tennessine:
Tennessine has not yet been widely studied or used in any practical applications due to its short half-life and limited availability. As a result, there are currently no examples of tennessine being used in everyday life or in industry.
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