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Fermium is a transuranic element and a part of the actinide series according to the periodic table of elements. So, transuranic or transuranium elements are known to be those chemical elements that lay beyond Uranium in the periodic table and all of these chemical elements have atomic numbers ranging beyond 92. There are a total of 118 elements known, with fermium (atomic number = 100) is a rare element that may be synthesized in small quantities and has a short half-life.
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Key Takeaways: Fermium, Fm, Transuranium elements, Actinide series, Periodic table, f-block elements
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Fermium
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- Fermium is a transuranium radioactive element, which is also a member of the actinide series in the periodic table of elements.
- Fermium is an element with an atomic number of 100. It is rare and synthetic in nature and the symbol representing fermium is `Fm’.
- So far, not enough fermium has been generated in order to analyze its general properties. However, it’s been predicted that fermium is an element that might be sensitive to air, steam and acid.
- Fermium is said to be produced in smaller quantities and that it does not retain a vast half-life.
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Chemical Properties of Fermium
| Fermium symbol | Fm | Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f127s2 |
| Group | Actinides | Isotopes | 257Fm |
| Period | 7 | Melting Point | 1527°C,2781°F,1800K |
| Block | f | Boiling Point | Unknown |
| Atomic Number | 100 | Density (g cm−3) | Unknown |
| Atomic Mass | (257) gmol-1 | Mass Number | 257 u |
| State at 20°C | Solid | Colour | Silvery-white |
General Properties of Fermium
- The most stable isotope of fermium, which is fermium-257, has a half-life of around 100.5 days.
- The isotope can be decayed into californium-253 with alpha decay or through spontaneous fission.
- The properties of fermium when reacted with water, bases and halogens are still unknown due to generation of a minor amount of fermium. However, scientists predicted that it might resemble that of the element erbium, which is just above fermium in the periodic table.
- The properties of fermium when reacted with air, acids and steam are also unknown and yet to be discovered due to generation of a very minor amount of fermium. However, it is predicted that fermium must be sensitive to air, acids and steam.
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Uses of Fermium
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- As fermium is known to be generated in such minor amounts, and also that all of its isotopes have extremely short lives. So, there are no such commercial uses of this particular element.
- Scientists are mainly making use of this element for research purposes as there is much more that is yet to be discovered about fermium. So, experimenting on fermium will lead them to grasp more knowledge about it.
Facts about Fermium
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- It is said to be known that Fermium does not occur naturally in the Earth’s crust anymore. However, earlier it has been known that fermium was generated in natural nuclear reactor deposits.
- As fermium does not occur naturally in the Earth’s crust anymore. Hence, it also does not have any hazardous facts or any effect on health.
- Currently, fermium can only be obtained in very small quantities if the neutrons of plutonium are bombarded in the inside of a nuclear reactor. While performing this process, the 257Fm and also other higher isotopes can be generated.
- As fermium has no any uses in the biological world, it is believed to decay radioactively and hence, toxic in nature.
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Points to Remember
- Fermium is a transuranium radioactive element and also a member of the actinide series in the periodic table of elements.
- The official symbol of Fermium is `Fm’ and its atomic number is 100.
- The Electronic configuration of Fermium is: [Rn] 5f127s2.
- The atomic weight of Fermium is: (257) gmol-1
- Fermium is silvery-white in appearance but it is known to be no longer found in the Earth’s crust.
- Fermium was discovered by a team of scientists which was led by Albert Ghiorso in the year 1953 while studying the radioactive debris produced by the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb which took place at the end of the year 1952.
- Fermium elements are generated in micro quantities and also it does not retain a vast half-life.
- At present, Fermium is believed to be obtained in very small quantities if the neutrons of plutonium are bombarded in the inside of a nuclear reactor.
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Sample Question
Ques: What are transuranium elements? [2 mark]
Ans: Transuranium or transuranic elements are those chemical elements which lay beyond uranium in the periodic table – i.e., those chemical elements whose atomic numbers are greater than 92. All the transuranium elements are said to be unstable and decay radioactively with half-lives ranging from millions of years to mere seconds.
Ques: What are actinides? [2 mark]
Ans: The name `Actinide’ is given from the first element of the actinide series, i.e., Actinium. The actinide series is represented by the symbol `An’. The Actinide series basically comprises 15 chemical elements which ranges from 89 to 103 in the periodic table.
Ques: Mention the elements that are present in the actinide series of the periodic table. [3 mark]
Ans: The elements that are present in the actinide series of the periodic table are as follows:
| Actinium | Thorium | Protactinium | Uranium | Neptunium |
| Plutonium | Americium | Curium | Berkelium | Californium |
| Einsteinium | Fermium | Mendelevium | Nobelium | Lawrencium |
Ques: Write a note on Fermium. [3 marks]
Ans: Fermium is a transuranium radioactive element, which is also a member of the actinide series in the periodic table of elements and was discovered by a team of scientists which was led by Albert Ghiorso in the year 1953. Fermium is an element with an atomic number of 100. It is rare and synthetic in nature and the symbol representing fermium is `Fm’. The period of Fermium is 7. The Electronic configuration of Fermium is: [Rn] 5f127s2. The atomic weight of Fermium is (257) gmol-1 and it is silvery-white in appearance.
So far, not enough fermium has been generated in order to analyze its general properties. However, it’s been predicted that fermium is an element that might be sensitive to air, steam and acid. Fermium is said to be produced in smaller quantities and that it does not retain a vast half-life.
Ques: Who discovered Fermium and how many isotopes of Fermium are discovered till date? [3 marks]
Ans: Fermium was discovered by a team of scientists which was led by Albert Ghiorso in the year 1953 while studying the radioactive debris produced by the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb which took place on a pacific atoll on 1st November in the year 1952.
There are a total of 21 isotopes of fermium that have been discovered till now. These isotopes have atomic weights ranging from 242 to 260. Out of which, the Fermium-257 has the longest half-life of about 100.5 days. And all the other existing isotopes of fermium have half-lives of about half an hour or even less.
Ques: Where is Fermium found? Or can it be prepared? [2 mark]
Ans: At present, fermium is known to be not found any longer anywhere in the Earth’s crust. It is believed to be obtained in very small quantities if the neutrons of plutonium are bombarded in the inside of a nuclear reactor.
Ques. How was fermium discovered? [3 marks]
Ans: Fermium was discovered by a team of scientists which was led by Albert Ghiorso in the year 1953 while studying the radioactive debris produced by the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb. The isotope they discovered was fermium-255 which has a half-life of about 20 hours and was produced by combining 17 neutrons with uranium-238, which then underwent eight beta decays. Today, fermium is produced through a lengthy chain of nuclear reactions that involves bombarding each isotope in the chain with neutrons and then allowing the resulting isotope to undergo beta decay. Fermium's most stable isotope, which is considered to be fermium-257, has a half-life of about 100.5 days. It is also said to be noticed that 257Fm decays into californium-253 through alpha decay or decays through spontaneous fission.
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