Hydrogen

Rutherfordium Rf 104

A radioactive metal which does not occur naturally and of which relatively few atoms have ever been made. It is of research interest only.

Appearance unknown, but probably metallic grey in appearance.

The element is named after Lord Rutherford, a New Zealand physicist and chemist.

Atomic Number : 104
Atomic Mass : 261.11
Melting Point : 2400K (estimated)
Boiling Point : 5800K (estimated)
Density : 23,000
Ground State Electron Configuration : [Rn]5f¹⁴6d²7s²
Shell: 2,8,18,32,32,10,2
Orbital: 6d2

Discovery

by a group of scientists at Dubna, near Moscow, Russia in 1964, and independently by A. Ghiorso and co-workers at Berkeley, California, USA in 1969

Occurrence

A transuranium element created by bombarding ²⁴⁹Cf with ¹²C nuclei.

Properties

Two separate groups have claimed to be the discoverers of the element, due to two differing isotopes. A synthetic element created via nuclear bombardment, few atoms have ever been made and the properties of rutherfordium are very poorly understood. It is a radioactive metal and is of research interest only.

Preparation

Only very small amounts of of element 104, rutherfordium, have ever been made. The first samples were made through nuclear bombardment involving fusion of an isotope of plutonium, ²⁴²Pu, with one of neon, ²²Ne.

²²Ne + ²⁴²Pu ²⁶⁰Rf + 4 ¹n

Isolation of an observable quantity of rutherfordium has never been achieved.

Uses

It has no uses.

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