# What is the heaviest substance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657 "2003-12-03T05:32:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rriggstx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@rriggstx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rriggstx)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/21 "2003-12-03T18:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanny Ogg \* > \*\*…my mother’s guilt inducing death stare. > > \*\* Would that be a 1920’s style death stare? ---
**Author:** ![ForgottenLore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@ForgottenLore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForgottenLore)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/22 "2003-12-03T19:06:37Z")
Whoah, hey! I actually answered a question first for a change. How the hell did _that_ happen? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/23 "2003-12-03T19:34:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > The catch is that neutronium and quarkium can only exist in neutron stars or quark stars, respectively. If you tried to isolate a cubic inch of either of them, it would be… unstable, to understate it. It is possible, albeit perhaps unlikely, that _strange matter_ (“quarkium”) may be stable outside of “strange stars”. [See here for a good overview.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_matter) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Bokonon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@Lord\_Bokonon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Bokonon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/24 "2003-12-04T06:38:02Z")
[Osmium](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDCASS80311070454212058&sql=1OSMIUM~C) ---
**Author:** ![Striss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Striss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Striss)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/25 "2003-12-04T06:50:39Z")
This question may well be infinite. It will all depend upon the newest discoveries of a particular scientific era, including the heaviest “flavor” of the year, so to speak. If you’re asking “as of 2003”, I believe all ( or most… lol) of the above replies are on target. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/26 "2003-12-04T09:06:29Z")
Basically for any given sphere of space, the highest density for that sphere would be a black hole with Schwarzchild radius that is equal to the radius of the sphere. If you try to add any more matter to the sphere you would get a black hole with a radius larger than the radius of the sphere which would be less denser. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/27 "2003-12-04T12:51:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\*Fruitcake! No wait, that’s the most _dense_… \*\* Awwwww! **Chefguy** You too! Damn, no respect for tradition.☹ ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/28 "2003-12-04T16:45:10Z")
Last I heard a black hole has three known characteristics: 1. Mass 2. Charge 3. Angular Momentum In addition, the smaller the black hole (i.e., the smaller the Schwarzchild radius), the “brighter” it becomes (Hawking radiation). [http://www.lns.cornell.edu/spr/1999-12/msg0020276.html](http://www.lns.cornell.edu/spr/1999-12/msg0020276.html) I seems to me that a derivative of the mass verses density could determine where the peak density occurs. Anyone wish to venture into this? Also, how expensive and rare is osmium? Can I by it by the ton? or am looking at the world’s most exotic and expensive paperweight? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/29 "2003-12-04T18:14:39Z")
The 2001-2002 CRC Handbook says that either Osmium or Iridium are the heaviest elements, but that “the data do not allow selection between the two”. It also says that Francium has the “highest equivalent weight of any element” - what do they mean by that? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/30 "2003-12-04T18:18:44Z")
> [@](#): > > I seems to me that a derivative of the mass verses density could determine where the peak density occurs. Anyone wish to venture into this? The smaller you make the hole, the denser it becomes, without any known limit. It’s possible that quantum gravity will put some sort of upper bound on it, but since we don’t yet have quantum gravity, we don’t know what that would be. Now, because of the Hawking radiation, a very small (and hence very dense) black hole won’t last very long, but while it does last, it’ll still be denser than a larger, dimmer hole. ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/31 "2003-12-04T19:27:05Z")
Yeah, black hole matter would be the densest, but you’ll never be able to put it on a scale. Osmium is the densest element. Are there any compounds with higher density? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/32 "2003-12-04T21:50:25Z")
> [@](#): > > It also says that Francium has the “highest equivalent weight of any element” - what do they mean by that? Equivalent weight is the atomic or formula weight of an element, compound or ion divided by its valency. ([Cite](http://www.wpt.com/html/glossary.html)) Valency (or valence in US parlance) is a measure of the “combining power” of an element, in other words how many atoms of other stuff it can react with - defined as how many hydrogen atoms it will replace in a formula. Francium has a valence of 1; iridium +3 or +4, osmium usually +3,+4, +6, or +8. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Adam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e68b1a/32.png) [@Evil\_Adam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Adam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/33 "2003-12-05T02:06:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \* > \*\*Osmium. > > Band name? \*\* You may be thinking of [Ozma](http://www.ozmaonline.com) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/34 "2003-12-05T05:04:54Z")
An Iron Butterfly album. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/35 "2003-12-05T05:13:52Z")
Howyadoin, “Early in 2002, astronomers using the Chandra x-ray telescope announced the possible detection of a new type of star denser than neutron stars but not dense enough to become black holes. Dubbed quark stars, they are believed to be composed entirely of quarks, the fundamental subatomic particles that make up protons and neutrons. Such quark stars would be so dense that a teaspoonful would weigh billions of tons.” From: [http://www.calacademy.org/calwild/summer2002/stories/suns2.html](http://www.calacademy.org/calwild/summer2002/stories/suns2.html) Possible detection = grain of salt, perhaps? -Rav ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/36 "2003-12-05T06:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Possible detection = grain of salt, perhaps? Yes. And what sets scientists aside from other folks is the fact that the researchers who discoverd them would be the first to admit it. Quark stars don’t require all that big a grain of salt: Theoretically, there’s no reason they shouldn’t exist, and the Chandra observations seem consistent with what the theories would predict. But they’re believed to be extremely rare, we only have a handful of objects suspected of being quark stars, and all the observational evidence thus far is from a single type of observation, so no, we’re not certain. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/37 "2003-12-05T06:56:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cillasi \* > \*\*- Heaviest Element Discovered - > > A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. This new element has been tentatively named “Administratium.” > > Administratium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 111 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. > > Since Administratium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. > > A minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over 4 days to complete when it would normally take less than a second. > > Administratium has a normal half-life of 3 years; it does not decay but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. > > In fact, Administratium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization causes some morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. > > This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to speculate that Administratium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as “Critical Morass.” You will know it when you see it. > > [http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/humor/administratium.htm](http://www.rfcafe.com/miscellany/humor/administratium.htm) > > Heh…I couldn’t resist… > > also called governmentium - [http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/000953.html](http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/000953.html) \*\* ROTFLMAO! I worked there for a bit and it was hell. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Striss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Striss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Striss)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657/38 "2003-12-07T14:02:48Z")
now THAT’S funny… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-substance/216657.md?page=1)