Einsteinium

By Isabella
Background Information

✘ Einsteinium has the symbol Es

✘ It has the atomic number 99 and the atomic mass of 252 u
✘ It’s toxic (radioactive) to the point where glowing can occur
✘ It is a member of the actinide/actinoid series
✘ It’s also in period 7
✘ It’s a silvery, synthetic metal
Discovery and Origin

Einsteinium was discovered in Einsteinium was named in honour

December, 1952. It was discovered of Albert Einstein, however, the
by Glenn T. Seaborg, Albert discovery had nothing to do with
Ghiorso, in the debris of the first him.
thermonuclear* explosion/test in
Bikini Atoll, in the Marshall islands
on the 1st November 1952. The
debris was sent to Berkeley to be
tested and analysed.

* another name for a fusion bomb

or Hydrogen bomb.
Properties

Physical:
Unfortunately, due to the
massively high reactivity of
Einsteinium, many of it’s physical
properties are unknown. We do
know that is has a melting point of
860 degrees celsius and has a
density of 8.84g / cm cubed. It is
often described as a silvery colour
that could possibly glow.
Properties

Chemical:
Einsteinium has 99 electrons and
protons and has 153 neutrons. It is
also paramagnetic. Once again, not
a lot is known about it’s chemical
properties.

^Einsteinium glowing in the dark

Uses (existing and future)

Currently, it has no use

whatsoever because of it’s
radioactivity and is very toxic.
It can only be obtained in mg
by the neutron bombardment
of plutonium.

*Interestingly enough,
plutonium can only be
obtained during the neutron
bombardment of uranium.
Fun Fact
The scientists who discovered
einsteinium, referred to it as
pandemonium for a long time because
the hydrogen bomb test in which it was
found, was code-named ‘Project Panda’.
Thanks for listening