Bohrium is a chemical element with symbol Bh and atomic number 107. It is named after Danish physicist Niels Bohr. It is a synthetic element (an element that can be created in a laboratory but is not found in nature) and radioactive; the most stable known isotope, 270Bh, has a half-life of approximately 61 seconds.
Three reasons Bohrium stands out
- 1
Named after famous Danish physicist who contributed to the foundations of atomic structure.
- 2
Its atoms are short-lived, making experiments challenging.
- 3
Only a few dozen atoms of it have ever been synthesised, making direct observation nearly impossible.
Testing group seven one atom at a time
Bohrium honors Niels Bohr, whose atomic model helped make sense of periodic behavior. Its atoms are produced in heavy-ion collisions and usually decay within seconds. Chemists have nevertheless formed a volatile bohrium compound, finding behavior consistent with heavier-member status beneath rhenium.