Astatine facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Astatine is a very rare chemical element. It's like a special building block that makes up everything around us. Its atomic number is 85. This number tells us it has 85 protons in its center. Its atomic weight is about 210. This means it has roughly 210 protons and neutrons combined.

Astatine belongs to a group called halogens on the periodic table. This is the same group as more common elements like chlorine and iodine.

Astatine is super rare. It's so rare that only about an ounce of it exists in the Earth's crust at any one time! This is because astatine is extremely unstable. This means its atoms fall apart very quickly.

Astatine is also radioactive. This means it gives off energy as its atoms break down. The longest-living type of astatine, called an isotope (specifically ²¹⁰At), has a half-life of a bit over eight hours. A half-life is the time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay.

Astatine isotopes are used in medicine. They can help treat some types of cancer. They are also used as radioactive tracers. These tracers help doctors see what's happening inside the body.

Periodic table