Californium
Californium (锎, symbol Cf) is chemical element number 98, an Actinide in period 7 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 251. Powerful neutron emitter. Used to start nuclear reactors and in cancer therapy.
Properties
| Atomic number | 98 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Cf |
| Atomic mass | 251 u |
| Category | Actinide |
| Period | 7 |
| Group | — |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f¹⁰ 7s² |
| Electronegativity | 1.3 |
| Covalent radius | — |
| Density | 15.1 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 1173 K |
| Boiling point | 1743 K |
| Discovery | Thompson, Street, Ghiorso, Seaborg, 1950 |
Overview
Powerful neutron emitter. Used to start nuclear reactors and in cancer therapy. Californium (Cf) is an Actinide with atomic number 98, located in period 7. As an actinide it is typically radioactive and closely tied to nuclear technology.
Its electron configuration is [Rn] 5f¹⁰ 7s², with 2 electrons in the outer shell, and an electronegativity of about 1.3 (Pauling). Around 25 °C it is usually a solid; it melts near 1173 K (899.9 °C), boils near 1743 K (1469.9 °C), has a density around 15.1 g/cm³.
In industry and daily life it turns up in Research and Nuclear. It is regarded as a high-hazard element, so handle it with appropriate care. It was first described by Thompson, Street, Ghiorso, Seaborg in 1950. Use the comparison tool to line it up against other elements.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 28 · 8 · 2
Main uses
- Research
- Nuclear
Hazard
Compounds containing Californium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Californium yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.