Bk
INTRODUCTION
Berkelium is a synthetic radioactive element, and one of the transuranium (elements that is after uranium on the periodic table) in the actinide series of the periodic table. It was named after Berkeley, in California
An isotope of mass number 243 with a half-life of 4.6 hours was produced by bombarding americium-241 with alpha particles accelerated in a cyclotron.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 97
- Atomic Mass
- 247
- Ionic radius
- 0.96
- Ionization energy
- N/A
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,32,27,8,2
- Principal Valency
- +2
- Density g/cm³
- 14.8
- Melting point °C
- 986
- Boiling point °C
- N/A
- Type of Element
- Metal
- Electronegativity
- N/A
- Element Category
- Actinide series
- Appearance
- Silvery white solid
- Block
- f-block
- Period
- 9
- Group
- 12
- No of Isotopes
- 20
- Occurrence
- Artificially Made
- Abundance in ppm
- Nil
- Year of Discovery
- 1949
EXTRACTION
It is obtain by electrolysis of its fused salts or reducing its halides with calcium
OXIDATION STATES
+3,+4
MAJOR SOURCE
Bombardment of americium-241.
HALF LIFE
Berkelium-249 = 314 days
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* It is used extensively in research works.
