Not all the elements on the periodic table exist in nature. Some can only be created in a laboratory because they are so unstable, or radioactive, that they decay rapidly into other elements as they emit protons and neutrons. These elements are “superheavy,” meaning that they are at the end of the periodic table with the largest atomic numbers. For almost a century scientists have been creating and discovering new synthetic elements to add to the periodic table. On New Year’s Eve, four new elements were officially recognized. Atomic numbers 113, 115, 117, and 118 completed the 7th period (or row) of the periodic table! These elements were especially challenging to discover because they only existed for a few milliseconds. So if they occurred in nature, they would only occur in the initial moments of the Big Bang before disappearing.
Archives for January 2016
Issue 21: New Elements – Jan. 2016
Issue 20: Sea Level Rise – Jan. 2016
Leaders from around the world recently gathered in Paris to discuss how to reduce carbon emissions. The international community must work together to find solutions that limit the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere and cause climate change. As world leaders work with scientists and economists to reach an agreement, some places are already feeling one of the many negative effects of global warming – sea level rise. Land surface in low-lying island nations, like the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific, is shrinking and flooding regularly. In the US, nearly 40% of the population lives in coastal communities that are at risk of flooding. How high oceans rise around the world largely depends on what we do NOW to limit carbon emissions.
[Continue Reading…]
Like Us on Facebook!