Einsteinium is a rare, expensive, and radioactive metallic element in the actinide series. It is synthetically produced and used in theoretical research. It poses a health risk and was discovered in 1952 by Alberto Ghiorso.
Einsteinium is a metallic chemical element classified in the actinide series of the periodic table of elements. This element does not occur naturally, and as a result, most people will never interact with it or any of its isotopes. Scientists synthesize small amounts of einsteinium for research by irradiating plutonium over a period of years; the rarity of this item makes it extremely expensive. Einsteinium is also produced as a byproduct of thermonuclear explosions, which is how it was discovered in the first place.
This element is one of a group of elements that are collectively known as transuranium elements. The transuranic elements have a higher atomic number than uranium and have a number of shared traits including extreme instability, reactivity and radioactivity. Most of the transuranic elements do not occur in nature and, consequently, must be produced synthetically in the laboratory; because this process is expensive and painstaking, there are few commercial uses for these items.
Scientists have managed to identify several isotopes of einsteinium used in theoretical research. The pure element is believed to be silvery white in color, although this has not been confirmed, and little is known about its chemical properties although it is assumed that they are similar to other actinides. Its atomic number is 99 and the element is identified with the symbol Es on the periodic table of elements.
Credit for the discovery of einsteinium is typically given to Alberto Ghiorso, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who identified several actinide elements. Ghiorso discovered einsteinium in 1952 when he was sifting through thermonuclear test debris in the South Pacific, and the discovery was covered up until 1955 due to concerns about einsteinium’s potential weaponization; Los Alamos National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory also participated in the discovery and description of this element, which is named after the famous scientist Albert Einstein.
Like other transuranic elements, einsteinium theoretically poses a health risk, since it and its isotopes are radioactive. People who work with the element observe careful precautions to minimize exposure, and the element is used in such small quantities that this risk is small enough. Average individuals are unlikely to be exposed to einsteinium; if they are, they have bigger things to worry about, as the most likely source of exposure is a thermonuclear explosion.
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