Japanese scientists reveal they finally synthesized one of the missing elements in the periodic table of elements - 113, an element with 113 protons in its nucleus which does not exist naturally on Earth.
Element 113 was created at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science in Saitama, Japan. The scientists created the new element by bombarding bismuth (Bi) atoms with zinc (Zn) in a particular accelerator.
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| Photo Courtesy: PTable |
Elements with atomic number of 1 (hydrogen) to 94 (plutonium) exist naturally, while those from 96 to 118 have been made by man and confirmed, except elements 113 and 115.
If validated, element 113 will be Asia's first discovered element and will no longer take the temporary element name of ununtrium. Co-super heavy elements 114 and 116, formerly called ununquadium and ununhexium, were recently renamed as flerovium (Fl) and livermorium (Lv). In 2011, elements 110, 112 and 116 were given permanent monikers, darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg) and copernicium (Cn).
It would be the first time for an Asian country to discover and earn naming rights for an element in the periodic table.
