Responsible for naming new elements?

[Patrick_Mc]

What body is responsible for naming new elements to the Periodic table?

[MeDrewNotYou]

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)

And here’s Wikipedia’s bit.

[Polycarp]

After acrimonious disputes over who had first ‘discovered’ (produced) elements in the 102-104 range, and hence had the privilege of naming them, IUPAC adopted the gawdawful system of temporary names. They are not intended to replace the right to name new elements, but to be placeholders until IUPAC confirms that so-and-so in fact did produce nuclide 260 of element 106, and so on. I.e., you can discuss the properties of “unnilhexium” (element 106) and make claims to have produced it by bombarding americium with boron or some such. Once your claims are verified and duplicated, you then have the privilege of dubbing it Ceciladamsium. Until then, it is stuck with “unnilhexium.”

[MeDrewNotYou]

@Polycarp

After acrimonious disputes over who had first ‘discovered’ (produced) elements in the 102-104 range, and hence had the privilege of naming them, IUPAC adopted the gawdawful system of temporary names. They are not intended to replace the right to name new elements, but to be placeholders until IUPAC confirms that so-and-so in fact did produce nuclide 260 of element 106, and so on. I.e., you can discuss the properties of “unnilhexium” (element 106) and make claims to have produced it by bombarding americium with boron or some such. Once your claims are verified and duplicated, you then have the privilege of dubbing it Ceciladamsium. Until then, it is stuck with “unnilhexium.”

That almost inspires me to go to switch to nuclear chemistry just to synthesize 126 (or whatever the island of stability is) and name it after the font of all wisdom. If I find 124 along the way, I’ll send you a chunk of Polycarpium. (125 is Drewium, of course. If I find the island, I deserve to be an egotistical bastard. )

ETA- The OP might be interested in reading about the island of stability. It gives you an idea of how difficult it will be to discover the bigger elements.