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Moscovium-Discovery, Properties,And Applications

October 18, 2023
written by Adeel Abbas

Moscovium is a synthetic element that was first synthesized in 2003 by a team of Russian and American scientists. It is a highly radioactive element with a very short half-life, and as such, very little is known about its properties and characteristics.

image of Moscovium element
PropertyValue
NameMoscovium
SymbolMc
Atomic number115
Relative atomic mass (Ar) (longest-lived isotope)
Standard statePresumably a solid at 298 K
AppearanceUnknown, probably metallic and silvery white or grey in appearance
ClassificationMetallic
Group in periodic table15
Group namePnictogen
Period in periodic table7
Block in periodic tablep
Shell structure2.8.18.32.32.18.5
CAS Registry54085-64-2

Discovery

Moscovium was first synthesized by a team of Russian and American scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia, in 2003. The team bombarded americium-243 with calcium-48 ions, producing moscovium-288.

Physical Properties

As a synthetic element, very little is known about moscovium’s physical properties. It is expected to be a solid metal at room temperature and to have a silvery-white appearance. It is also expected to be highly radioactive, with a very short half-life.

Chemical Properties

Because moscovium is so short-lived, it is unlikely to have any practical chemical applications. However, it is expected to behave like other elements in the same group of the periodic table, such as bismuth.

Facts

  • Moscovium is named after the city of Moscow, where the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is located.
  • The discovery of moscovium was formally recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 2016.

Applications

Due to its highly unstable nature, moscovium is unlikely to have any practical applications in the near future. However, its discovery helps to expand our understanding of the properties and behavior of synthetic elements.