Einsteinium Facts, Symbol, Discovery, Properties, Uses

Table Of Contents

What is Einsteinium
History of Einsteinium
Classification and Position of Einsteinium on the Periodic Table [2]
Properties of Einsteinium [1, 2, 3]
Atomic Data of the Element [1, 2, 3]
What is Einsteinium Used for
Interesting Facts
Cost of Einsteinium

What is Einsteinium

Einsteinium (pronounced as ine-STINE-ee-em) is a radioactive metal, belonging to the family of transuranium elements, and denoted by the chemical symbol Es. It has 16 isotopes out of which einsteinium-252 is the most stable one with a half-life of 47.1 days ^{[2, 3]}.

History of Einsteinium

Origin of its Name

The element is named after the renowned German physicist, Albert Einstein ^{[1, 2]}.

Who Discovered Einsteinium

In 1952, a team of scientists led by American nuclear scientist Albert Ghiorso, discovered it ^[2].

When and Where was it Discovered

On 1^st November 1952, a thermonuclear bomb explosion had been conducted on a small island near the Pacific Coast. After which, the residual radioactive material collected from the neighboring atoll was sent to Berkeley, California for examination. After a month of thorough analysis of the debris, done by Ghiorso and his teammates Stanley Thompson, Gregory Choppin, and Bernard Harvey, 200 atoms of einsteinium were discovered. Einsteinium-253 with a half-life of about 20 days was the isotope found from the debris that formed during the explosion when Uranium-238 underwent bombardment with neutrons and went through a chain of several decay reactions. However, nothing was officially revealed until 1955, due to security reasons ^{[2, 4]}.

Classification and Position of Einsteinium on the Periodic Table ^[2]

Group Number	Unknown
Group Name	Actinides
Period	7
Block	f

Location of Einsteinium in the Periodic Table

Properties of Einsteinium ^{[1, 2, 3]}

General Properties
Relative Atomic Mass	252
Physical Properties
Color/Appearance	Unknown
Luster	Unknown
Odor	Unknown
Melting Point/Freezing Point	860°C (1580°F)
Boiling Point	Unknown
Density	Unknown
State of Matter at Room Temperature (solid/liquid/gas)	Solid
Hardness	Unknown
Electrical Conductivity	Unknown
Thermal (Heat) Conductivity	Unknown
Chemical Properties
Flammability		Unknown
Oxidation state/Oxidation number		+2, +3

Atomic Data of the Element ^{[1, 2, 3]}

Atomic Number	99
Valence Electrons	2
Quantum Numbers
– n	5
– ℓ	3
– m_ℓ	0
– m_s	-1/2
Electron Configuration (Noble Gas Configuration)	[Rn] 5f¹¹7s²
Atomic Structure
– Number of Electrons	99
– Number of Neutrons	153
– Number of Protons	99
Radius of Atom
– Atomic Radius	2.45 Å
– Covalent Radius	1.65 Å
Electronegativity	Unknown
Ionization Energy (kJmol^-1)	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th
	619.44	1158	–	–	–	–	–

What is Einsteinium Used for

Apart from basic scientific research, related to study of its properties, and production of other elements with a higher atomic number, Es has no commercial applications ^{[2, 5]}.

Interesting Facts

The element was casually referred to as pandamonium by the team of discoverers before getting its official name, as the bomb testing experiment was code-named Project Panda ^[5].
The symbol of einsteinium was initially proposed as E, but IUPAC changed it to Es ^[5].
In 1955, the element was used to synthesize the first sample of the mendelevium ^[3].

Cost of Einsteinium

Since the element is synthetically produced in minute amounts, it cannot be found outside laboratory production.

References

What is Einsteinium

History of Einsteinium

Origin of its Name

Who Discovered Einsteinium

When and Where was it Discovered

Classification and Position of Einsteinium on the Periodic Table [2]

Properties of Einsteinium [1, 2, 3]

General Properties

Physical Properties

Chemical Properties

Atomic Data of the Element [1, 2, 3]