As far as I can remember, all elements past 107 (not sure thats the exact number) are still awaiting names from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists. What are the odds on favorites in the chemistry community? What major chemists are left to get stuff named after them?
Seaborg, Bohrs, Rutherford, Mendelev and Einstein already have their names in elements. Will there be a “Planckium” or “Paulium”? I think we can rule “Heisenburgium” since he was a Nazi. What about “Moselium” (refering to Mosely)?
Element 109 has been named Meitnerium in honor of Lise Meitner. Working with Otto Hahn she discovered nuclear fission. She was one of the most prominent physicists to refuse to help build a nuclear bomb.
What’s with these odball names like ununnilium, unununium, ununbium, ununquadium, etc.? I presume these are “un” because they’re unnamed, and just given a stupid placeholder name until a proper name is assigned.
I still think one of these heavy elements should just be called “beer.” I always wanted to see a physicist seriously declare with a straight face “I have succeded in splitting the Beer atom.”
I vaguely remember a schema using the prefix “eka-”.
Under the schema, a new element is referred to by the element above it on the periodic table, with the eka- prefix.
Well, my handly little credit card-sized periodic table (given to me about a week ago by the ACS) has 108 as Bh (I have no idea what the full name is; I only have the symbols here) and 109 as Mt (explained above).
109-112 still have placeholder names.
One thing to clarify my OP: I meant the permanent names. The “uninilhexanium” stuff is temporary I hope. If not future chem students have a tough road ahead of them.
There is no element Bh, or maybe there is : according to this page http://www.sulzerorthopedics.com/us/product/material/Elements/Neilsbohrium.htm, which is about Neilsbohrium, its also called Bohrium. Its still at atomic number 107, though, not 108. I think Iupac hasnt decided officially yet, so its still a little up in the air.
