Provisional names for elements facts for kids
Elements are the basic building blocks of everything around us, from the air we breathe to the ground we walk on. Each element has a unique name and a symbol, like "O" for Oxygen or "H" for Hydrogen. Scientists discover new elements, especially very heavy ones, in special laboratories. When a new element is found, it needs a name!
Naming New Elements
Giving a new element its official name is a big deal. It's usually named after a famous scientist, a place where it was discovered, or a property of the element. For example, "Einsteinium" is named after Albert Einstein.
Provisional Names: The "Number-Naming" System
Sometimes, when a new element is discovered, it doesn't get its official name right away. Instead, it gets a temporary, or "provisional," name. This temporary name is based on its atomic number, which is the number of protons in an atom of that element.
Scientists use a special system to create these provisional names. Each digit from 0 to 9 has a specific syllable. They combine these syllables to form the element's name.
| Number | Syllable |
|---|---|
| 0 | nil |
| 1 | un |
| 2 | bi |
| 3 | tri |
| 4 | quad |
| 5 | pent |
| 6 | hex |
| 7 | sept |
| 8 | oct |
| 9 | en |
Examples of Provisional Names
Let's say an element has an atomic number of 118.
- The first digit is 1, so that's "un".
- The second digit is 1, so that's another "un".
- The third digit is 8, so that's "oct".
- You add "ium" at the end for elements.
So, an element with atomic number 118 would be called "Ununoctium". This was the provisional name for the element now officially known as Oganesson.
Another example is Ununenium. This element has an atomic number of 119. It has not been officially discovered yet. Its provisional name comes from "un" (for 1), "un" (for 1), and "en" (for 9), plus "ium".
This "number-naming" system helps scientists talk about new elements before their official names are decided.
