The last element - 07.08.2024

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Oganesson - The heaviest known (right now) element
  3. The Hunt for Element 119
  4. The Island of Stability
  5. Challenges and Future Prospects

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the edge of the periodic table? Right now, at the end, we can find the superheavy elements. They are those with atomic numbers greater than 103. These elements exist for mere fractions of a second, yet they're helping us unlock the secrets of the atomic world.

Oganesson The heaviest known (right now) element

In 2016, element 118, named oganesson, became the latest addition to the periodic table. Despite being classified as a noble gas, oganesson breaks all the rules. The funniest thing is that oganesson is predicted to be solid at room temperature. This bizarre behavior is due to Einstein's theory of relativity. In superheavy atoms, electrons move so fast they gain significant mass, dramatically altering the element's properties.

The Hunt for Element 119

But scientists aren't stopping at oganesson. Well, they will probably never stop. There are already searches for element 119 (and 120), temporarily called "ununennium." If created, it would be the first element of the 8th row of the periodic table and the heaviest alkali metal. Researchers predict it might be a liquid at room temperature.
Creating these elements is no easy task. Scientists slam lighter atoms into heavier ones at incredible speeds, hoping they'll stick together long enough to form a new element. Long enough, in the case of Oganesson, means less than 1 millisecond.

The Island of Stability

There's a theory that gives us some hope: the "island of stability." This hypothesis suggests that some superheavy elements isotopes might have much longer lifespans than others, perhaps existing for minutes or even days instead of milliseconds. Finding this island could revolutionize our understanding of atomic structure and potentially lead to new technologies we can barely imagine. For Oganesson, scientists are predicting, that it would be 297 Og.

Challenges and Future Prospects

The path to new elements is fraught with challenges. The materials needed are incredibly rare and expensive. The experiments require cutting-edge technology and immense patience - sometimes running for months without success. And even when a new element is created, it is hard to detect it. As we venture into this atomic frontier, one thing is clear: the periodic table we learned in school is far from complete. There is already theory, saying that there are not 119, but 184 elements. Well, the question is, is there any 'the last element'?