Francium-Discovery, Properties, And Applications

Francium is a chemical element with the symbol ‘Fr’ and atomic number 87. It is an alkali metal and belongs to the same group as sodium, potassium, and cesium. Francium is a highly radioactive metal that is extremely rare and has a very short half-life.

Property	Value
Name	Francium
Symbol	Fr
Atomic number	87
Relative atomic mass (Ar)	(longest lived isotope)
Standard state	Solid at 298 K
Appearance	Metallic
Classification	Metallic
Group in periodic table	1
Group name	Alkali metal
Period in periodic table	7
Block in periodic table	s
Shell structure	2.8.18.32.18.8.1
CAS Registry	7440-73-5

Discovery

Francium was first discovered in 1939 by French physicist Marguerite Perey. She identified it as a new element in the decay chain of actinium-227.

Physical Properties

Francium is a highly radioactive metal and has no stable isotopes. Its most stable isotope has a half-life of only 22 minutes. It is a highly reactive element and can ignite spontaneously when exposed to air.

Chemical Properties

Francium is a highly reactive element and reacts with a variety of other elements and compounds. It reacts vigorously with water to produce francium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. Due to its highly unstable nature, francium has very limited practical applications.

Facts

• Francium is one of the rarest elements on Earth and is estimated to exist in the Earth’s crust at a concentration of only 20-30 grams at any given time.
• Francium is the most unstable element and has the shortest half-life of any naturally occurring element.
• Francium is so rare and unstable that it has never been produced in macroscopic quantities.

Applications

Due to its highly unstable nature, francium has no practical applications. However, it is studied by scientists to understand the behavior of highly radioactive elements and to gain insights into nuclear physics.

Francium is a highly radioactive and extremely rare alkali metal. Its highly unstable nature means that it has no practical applications, but it is studied by scientists to gain insights into nuclear physics. Despite being one of the rarest elements on Earth, francium has significant scientific value for researchers studying the behavior of highly radioactive elements.