Astatine is the rarest natural element on Earth, with only about 25 grams occurring naturally at any given time. It has a half-life of 8.1 hours and is formed during the decay of uranium and thorium. Some scientists believe it could be a good cancer fighter, but its scarcity makes research difficult.
Astatine is the rarest natural element on Earth. In fact, scientists know very little about this radioactive semi-metal, which is formed during the decay of uranium and thorium. Physicists have to infer many of the element’s properties – such as its radioactive properties, its conducting qualities and its color – and only about 25 grams are thought to occur naturally on the planet at any given time. In addition to its scarcity, astatine does not last very long. Astatine-210, the most stable form of the element, has a half-life of 8.1 hours, meaning if you did find some, half of it would be gone after a typical workday.
Could be, could be:
The element has an atomic number (85), an atomic symbol (At), and an atomic weight (210). The name of the element comes from the Greek word astatos, which means unstable.
Astatine is the heaviest known element in the halogen group. Halogens have low melting and boiling points, are brittle when solid, and are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
Some scientists think astatine might be a good cancer fighter, although its scarcity makes research difficult. It could act like iodine, they say, which tends to collect in the thyroid. Once there, its radioactivity could destroy cancerous cells.
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