Hawkins,+Janelle

FERMIUM
 * // Atomic Number: //****// 100 //**
 * // Atomic Weight: //****// 257 //**
 * // Melting Point: //****// 1800 K (1527°C or 2781°F) //**
 * // Boiling Point: //****// Unknown //**
 * // Density: //****// Unknown //**
 * // Phase at Room Temperature: //****// Solid //**
 * // Element Classification: //****// Metal //**
 * // Period Number: //****// 7 Group Number: none Group Name: //**

THE HISTORY AND USES ** What's in a name? ** Named after the scientist Enrico Fermi. Fermium was discovered by a team of scientists led by Albert Ghiorso in 1952 while studying the radioactive debris produced by the detonation of the first [|hydrogen] bomb. The [|isotope] they discovered, fermium-255, has a [|half-life] of about 20 hours and was produced by combining 17 [|neutrons] with [|uranium]-238, which then underwent eight [|beta decays]. Today, fermium is produced though a lengthy chain of nuclear reactions that involves bombarding each isotope in the chain with neutrons and then allowing the resulting isotope to undergo beta decay. Fermium's most stable [|isotope], fermium-257, has a [|half-life] of about 100.5 days. It decays into [|californium]-253 through [|alpha decay] or decays through spontaneous fission. Due to the small amounts produced and its short half-life, there are currently no uses for fermium outside of basic scientific research.
 * Say what? ** Fermium is pronounced as **FER-mi-em**.
 * History and Uses: **
 * Estimated Crustal Abundance: ** Not Applicable
 * Estimated Oceanic Abundance: ** Not Applicable
 * Number of Stable Isotopes: ** 0 ( [|View all isotope data] )
 * Ionization Energy: ** 6.50 eV
 * Oxidation State: ** +3
 * ** [|Electron Shell Configuration]: ** || ||   ||  1s 2   || || || || || || || ||
 * 2s 2  || ||  2p 6   || || || || || ||
 * 3s 2  || ||  3p 6   || ||  3d 10   || || || ||
 * 4s 2  || ||  4p 6   || ||  4d 10   || ||  4f 14   || ||
 * 5s 2  || ||  5p 6   || ||  5d 10   || ||  5f 12   || ||
 * 6s 2  || ||  6p 6   || || || || || ||
 * 7s 2  || || || || || || || ||   ||


 * First Energy Level: ** 2
 * Second Energy Level:** 8
 * Third Energy Level:** 18
 * Fourth Energy Level:** 32
 * Fifth Energy Level:** 30
 * Sixth Energy Level:** 8
 * Seventh Energy Level:** 2

**FACTS ABOUT FERMIUM**



The Element Fermium is defined as... A radioactive metallic element artificially produced, as by bombardment of plutonium with neutrons. The most common use of Fermium is for research. ** ||
 * ||  || ** Facts about the Definition of the Element Fermium ****

What are the origins of the word Fermium ? Named in honour of Enrico Fermi, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Rome and Nobel Prize winner whose work resulted in the discovery of slow neutrons leading to the discovery of nuclear fission and the production of elements lying beyond what was until 1938 the Periodic Table. ** ||
 * ** Interesting Facts about the Origin and Meaning of the element name Fermium ****

Fermium classified as an element in the Actinide series as one of the "Rare Earth Elements" which can located in Group 3 elements of the Periodic Table and in the 6th and 7th periods. The Rare Earth Elements are of the Lanthanide and Actinide series. Most of the elements in the Actinide series are synthetic or man-made. ** ||
 * ** Facts about the Classification of the Element Fermium ****

Fermium was discovered Albert Ghiorso in the USA in 1952. ** ||
 * ** Brief Facts about the Discovery and History of the Element Fermium ****

Man-made ** ||
 * ** Occurrence of the element Fermium in the Atmosphere ****

No known uses of fermium outside of basic research ** ||
 * ** Common Uses of Fermium ****