Hassium

Introduction

Hassium is denoted or represented by the chemical symbol Hs, and it has an atomic number equal to 108. It is highly (extremely) radioactive. Its most (more) stable isotope exists or has a half-life of approximately 10 (s) seconds.

Hassium is one of the superheavy elements. This element can be produced (generated) in a laboratory (lab) but only in very small quantities by the fusion process of heavy nuclei with the lighter ones. There are no natural occurrences of this element. This element is a d-block element found in the 7th period and 8th group. Electronic configuration for hassium is- [Rn]5f¹⁴ 6d⁶ 7s². It is predicted to be solid. There are very few known properties of hassium because of its extremely limited and costly production and also because its decays very quickly.

What is Hassium?

Hassium is a radioactive element, denoted by the chemical symbol Hs. It is a d-block element and is found to be present in period 7 and group 8. Its electronic configuration is- [Rn]5f¹⁴ 6d⁶ 7s². It also has some isotopes and one of its most stable known isotopes has a very small lifetime that is of 10 seconds. Hassium is also a superheavy (heavier) element that is usually produced in the industry but in a limited amount because of its radioactive nature, short life period, and costly production. Production of hassium takes place by fusing (fusion of) heavy nuclei with the lighter ones. It has an atomic number (Z)= 108 and, a mass number= 269 (predicted value). It is present in the solid (s) phase at STP. It has a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structure. Although there are various isotopes of Hassium, no one is found to be stable. Various isotopes are produced in the laboratory, either by fusion or through the decaying of heavier elements (e).

Basics Information of Radioactive Element

Radioactive elements are those elements whose atomic (at) nuclei are unstable (not stable) due to the presence of excess (extra) nuclear charge (q) inside it, therefore, these nuclei (n) undergoes radioactive decay to form or to give stable nuclei.

There are multiple forms of radioactive decay including Alpha decay (ɑ), beta decay (\mathrm{\beta}), and gamma decay (𝝲). In alpha (ɑ) decay, an alpha or helium particle emits (throws out) its nucleus. In beta (\mathrm{\beta}) decay, either an electron (e) or a positron (p) is emitted during the reaction. And, in the gamma (𝝲) decay, the emission of a photon (p) takes place due to the electron (e) jumping from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. In the modern periodic table (m.p.t) there are several radioactive elements present or found.

Some examples of those are- Radium (Ra), Thorium (Th), Hassium (Hs), e.t.c. There are several applications or uses of radioactive elements.

Discovery and Naming

Scientists or chemists tried several times to synthesize the radioactive element that is hassium before (previous) its official discovery.

In the year, 1984 some scientists (german)including Gottfried Munzenber, Peter, and some other co-workers claimed to generate this element. At the same time, some other scientists from Russia also claimed the production of the same element. In the year 1993, the report published by the IUPAC agency assigned (awarded) major credit to the german scientists based on their more definitive work when compared to the Russian chemists (scientists). Initially, it was termed or known as element 108 or eka-osmium. Later on, Peter Armbruster and the team of co-workers suggested or proposed the name Hassium for this element, and the name is based on or taken from the name of the place where it was successfully discovered for the very first time.

Occurrence

Hassium (Hs) does not produce or occur in nature, as it has very small or too short half-lives. Therefore, no prior hassium elements have been found to present from the beginning of this entire universe. There might be some isotopes of this element those are having longer half-lives, which means they might be present or found on the earth in trace quantities. It is synthesized or produced in the industries in a limited amount. Hassium, for the very first time, was synthesized (produced) by the cold (c) fusion of lead-208 (Pb) with iron-58 (Fe) nuclei by the reaction shown below −

$$\mathrm{^{208}Bi+^{58}Fe→^{265}Hs+^{1}n}$$

There is a minimal amount of Hs present till now because it decays very quickly.

Properties of Hassium

Some basic properties of hassium are as follows −

• Hassium is a synthetic or man-made element, produced in very minimal amounts.

• The isotopes of this element have shorter lives of about 20-22 seconds, and one of its most stable isotopes is ²⁷⁰Hs.

• Most of the properties of this element are still unknown or predicted because of its very short lifetime.

• This element is created or produced by bombarding the atoms of the lead (Pb) isotopes with the ions of the iron (Fe) isotopes.

Isotopes of Hassium

As we know Hassium is a synthetic (man-made) element and that’s why its standard atomic weight cannot be predicted. It has several isotopes but no stable isotope. The very first isotope synthesized was ²⁶⁵Hs in 1984. Till now there are 12 known isotopes of hassium element, ranging from ²⁶³Hs to ²⁷⁷Hs.

Conclusion

Hassium is represented by the symbol (chemical) Hs, and it has an atomic number (Z) equal to 108. It is highly (extremely) radioactive. Its most (more) stable (varies with the conditions) isotope exists or has a half-life of approximately 10 (s) seconds. Hassium is one of the superheavy elements. This element can be produced (generated) in a laboratory (lab) but only in very small quantities by the fusion process of heavy nuclei with the lighter ones. There are no natural occurrences of this element. This element is a d-block element found in the 7th period and 8th group. Electronic configuration for hassium is − [Rn]5f¹⁴ 6d⁶ 7s². It is predicted to be solid. There are very few known properties of hassium because of its extremely limited and costly production and also because its decays (early) very quickly.

FAQs

1. Define the position of Hassium in the modern periodic table.

Hassium is present in the 7th period and 8th group, in the d-block of the modern periodic table. It is a transition metal.

2. Which isotope of hassium is considered the most stable isotope?

Hassium-277 is the most stable isotope of hassium as compared to all other isotopes, it may vary according to further changes or modifications.

3. What is the use of hassium as an element?

As we know hassium is a radioactive element, so it can be used for research works only.

4. What are the melting point and crystal lattices predicted for hassium?

Hassium is predicted to have a very high melting point with a hexagonal closed structure (HCP) lattice type.

5. What do you mean by radioactivity?

Radioactivity is the phenomenon used to define the natural process that is used to disintegrate the atoms spontaneously, by emitting particles and energy to form more stable atoms.