How Are Superheavy Elements Named? A Step-by-Step Student Guide
There are around 118 elements in the modern periodic table.Out of 118 elements that have been discovered by scientists, 24 are synthetically developed by mankind and the rest are naturally occurring elements. Few of the elements from the 24 man-made elements were discovered much before and few others were discovered recently by a team that was headed by Glen Seaborg at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, California.
The names and the symbols that are given to these elements are still not used universally. Some of them even had two names and symbols. For example, the element with the atomic number 104 was discovered by America as well as the Soviet Union. The American Scientist gave it the name Rutherfordium (Rf) whereas the name Kurchatovium (Ku) was established by scientists of the Soviet Union. In a similar manner, another element with the atomic number 107 is named Neilsbohrium (Ns) as well as Bohrium (Bh).
Thus a committee named commission on nomenclature of inorganic chemistry (CNIC) was issued by the IUPAC so that a particular IUPAC naming process should be assigned for the elements whose atomic number is greater than or equal to 100. In the year 1997, after an elaborate discussion with all the scientists around the world, IUPAC decided on the official names for elements with atomic numbers 104 to 110 and proposed a method for naming the elements.
In this article, you will get to know about the nomenclature of the elements above 100 and their IUPAC names as well. Generally, the discoverer of the element is given the honour to name the element discovered. The name of the chemical element comes from the physical or chemical properties, its origin, or mythical characters. The recommended name of an element is then consented to by the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry).
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How The Elements With The Atomic Number (Z) Above 100 Assigned Names?
Most of the chemical elements have been assigned their symbols and names but still are not used universally. While studying the nomenclature of elements with an atomic number greater than 100, it was found that some elements are given two symbols or names.
For instance, an element with atomic number=104 was claimed by both Soviet and American scientists. The Americans assigned the element with the name Rutherfordium (Rf) whereas the Soviets named it Kurchatovium (Ku). Similarly, the element with Z=107 is assigned with the name Bohrium (Bh)
In 1978, IUPAC made a CNIC (Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry) to eradicate the element naming and symbol issues. The IUPAC gives a clear rule of the systematic nomenclature of elements with an atomic number above 100.
The Commission claimed that the elements must be named methodically by following the given below rules:
The names of the elements should be short. Additionally, the element name should be related to its atomic number.
Whether an element of atomic number 100 or above or it is a metal or non-metal, its name should end in ‘ium’.
In the systematic nomenclature of elements with atomic number 100, the element symbols should consist of three letters.
The symbol should be derived from the atomic numbers of the element and be visually connected to the names.
The elements with the atomic numbers (Z) from 101 to 103 have trivial names. Additionally, they have consistent two-letter symbols accepted by IUPAC. The chemical element with an atomic number above 100 is also referred to as superheavy elements.
The Commission mentions the use of three-letter structures for the chemical elements with Z=100 or above it. Because any scientifically derived set of two-letter symbols will tend to duplicate some of the elements of an atomic number less than 104.
Nomenclature Of Elements With Atomic Number (Z) Greater Than 100
The name of the element is directly derived from its atomic number by using the following numerical roots:
0 = nil (n)
1 = un (u)
2 = bi (b)
3 = tri (t)
4 = quad (q)
5 = pent (p)
6 = hex (h)
7 = sept (s)
8 = oct (o)
9 = enn (e)
The numerical roots are put together according to the digits, which make up the atomic number and end with “ium” to spell out the name.
The element symbol consists of the initial letters of the numerical roots, which make up the name.
In the name of the element, each root is pronounced separately such that the root ‘un’ should get pronounced with a long ‘u’.
For example, let us find the name of an element with atomic number 120:
Code for 1 is un
Code for 2 is bi
Code for 0 is nil
Hence the name of the element with atomic number 120 is un + bi + nil + ium (ending code), that is; unbinilium.
However, it is necessary to note that if the last digit code like bi ends with the letter ‘i’ then just add ‘um’. So, the ending, in that case, will be ‘um’ instead of ‘ium’.
IUPAC Nomenclature Of Elements With Atomic Number Above 100
FAQs on Nomenclature of Chemical Elements with Atomic Numbers Above 100
1. Why was a systematic nomenclature needed for elements with atomic numbers above 100?
A systematic IUPAC nomenclature was introduced for elements with atomic numbers (Z) greater than 100 because the discovery of these new, super-heavy elements often led to disputes between different scientific groups over who discovered them first. To avoid ambiguity and controversy, the IUPAC established a temporary, universally accepted naming system that could be used until the discovery was verified and a permanent, official name was approved.
2. What is the step-by-step method to derive the systematic name for any element with Z > 100?
To derive the systematic name for an element with an atomic number greater than 100, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Write down the numerical roots for each digit of the atomic number. For example, for Z = 102, the roots are 'un' (1), 'nil' (0), and 'bi' (2).
- Step 2: Combine these roots in the order of the digits. For Z = 102, this gives 'unnilbi'.
- Step 3: Add the suffix '-ium' to the combined roots. This results in 'unnilbium'.
- Step 4: The symbol is created by taking the first letter of each numerical root. For unnilbium, the symbol is Unb.
3. What are the numerical roots and abbreviations used in the IUPAC nomenclature for heavy elements?
The numerical roots used in the systematic nomenclature are derived directly from the digits 0-9. These are the fundamental building blocks for naming elements with Z > 100:
- 0: nil (n)
- 1: un (u)
- 2: bi (b)
- 3: tri (t)
- 4: quad (q)
- 5: pent (p)
- 6: hex (h)
- 7: sept (s)
- 8: oct (o)
- 9: enn (e)
These roots are combined and the suffix '-ium' is added to form the name.
4. What is the difference between the systematic IUPAC name and the official name of a super-heavy element?
The key difference lies in their purpose and permanence. The systematic name (e.g., Ununoctium for Z=118) is a temporary placeholder based strictly on the element's atomic number. It is used immediately upon theoretical prediction or initial discovery. The official name (e.g., Oganesson for Z=118) is the permanent name assigned by IUPAC after the element's existence has been independently verified. Official names often honour scientists, places, or mythological concepts.
5. How would you determine the systematic name and symbol for the element with atomic number 119?
To determine the name and symbol for the element with atomic number 119, we break down the number and apply the IUPAC rules:
- The digit '1' corresponds to the root 'un'.
- The second digit '1' also corresponds to 'un'.
- The digit '9' corresponds to the root 'enn'.
Combining these roots gives 'ununenn'. Adding the standard suffix '-ium', the full systematic name becomes Ununennium. The symbol is derived from the first letter of each root: Uue.
6. What are the systematic IUPAC names for the elements with atomic numbers 104 and 114?
For the element with atomic number 104, the roots are un (1), nil (0), and quad (4). Combining them gives the systematic name Unnilquadium (Unq). Its official name is Rutherfordium (Rf).
For the element with atomic number 114, the roots are un (1), un (1), and quad (4). This results in the systematic name Ununquadium (Uuq). Its official name is Flerovium (Fl).
7. What would be the systematic name and symbol for a hypothetical element with atomic number 123?
For a hypothetical element with atomic number 123, we can apply the systematic naming rules to predict its temporary name and symbol:
- The root for '1' is un.
- The root for '2' is bi.
- The root for '3' is tri.
Combining these roots and adding the '-ium' suffix, the name would be Unbitrium. The corresponding symbol, derived from the first letter of each root, would be Ubt.
