Berkelium facts for kids

Berkelium is a special chemical element that you can find on the periodic table. It has the symbol Bk and the atomic number 97. Berkelium is a radioactive metal, which means it gives off energy. It's also part of a group of elements called actinides. Scientists created berkelium; it doesn't naturally exist on Earth. It was first made by shooting tiny particles at another element called americium. Berkelium gets its name from Berkeley, California, and the University of California, Berkeley, where it was discovered.

What is Berkelium Like?

Scientists have studied berkelium, especially a form called ²⁴⁹Bk. This form lasts long enough (about 314 days) for them to learn about its properties. They believe it is a shiny, silver-colored metal. If it were in the air, it would easily rust or change at warm temperatures. It would also dissolve in weak acids.

How Was Berkelium Discovered?

Scientists first made berkelium in December 1949. A team led by Glenn T. Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley created it. They used a special machine called a cyclotron. They took a tiny piece of americium (²⁴¹Am) and hit it with fast-moving alpha particles. This process created ²⁴³Bk, which lasts for about 4.5 hours.

Later, they made a longer-lasting form of berkelium, ²⁴⁹Bk. This form has a half-life of about 330 days. They made it by hitting another element called curium (²⁴⁴Cm) with a strong beam of neutrons.

Different Forms of Berkelium

Berkelium has 19 different isotopes, which are like different versions of the element. The most stable isotope is ²⁴⁷Bk, which lasts for about 1380 years. Another stable one is ²⁴⁹Bk, lasting about 330 days. Most other berkelium isotopes last for less than 5 days. Some even last for less than 5 hours.

Images for kids

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  This picture shows the special way atoms are arranged in alpha-berkelium.

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  Glenn T. Seaborg was a lead scientist in the discovery of berkelium.

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  The 60-inch cyclotron machine used at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1939.

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  This graph shows how berkelium (Bk) is similar to other elements like terbium (Tb).

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  This is 22 milligrams of berkelium. It was used to make a new element called tennessine.

See also

In Spanish: Berkelio para niños