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.
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Its most stable known isotope has a half-life of only about 61 seconds.
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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.