New element names

The IUPAC has just announced names for elements 113, 115, 117, and 118, which were temporarily named Ununtrium, Ununpentium, Ununseptium, and Ununoctium. The new names are:

• 113: Nihonium (Nh), after Japan
• 115: Moscovium (Mc), after Moscow
• 117: Tennessine (Ts), after Tennessee (specifically Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville)
• 118: Oganesson (Og), after Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian

The names still need final confirmation, but here (ta da!) is the new periodic table:

(Periodic table produced using R. Click to zoom.)

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The dose makes the poison (part 2)

This periodic table summarises daily upper intake limits for various elements (data taken from a variety of sources). Of the elements highlighted, Thallium is the most toxic. However, some of these elements, like copper, are essential minerals for which there is also a recommended daily intake. Remember, the dose makes the poison.

Periodic table produced using R. Click to zoom.

Important note: these limits are for the most common form of elemental intake, e.g. sodium salts, phosphates, chlorides. One would not want to ingest Na, P, or Cl in elemental form!

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Four new elements

This is old news, but earlier this year we had official confirmation of four new elements (temporarily named ununtrium, ununpentium, ununseptium, and ununoctium), thus completing the seventh row of the periodic table. Dmitri would be proud!

(Periodic table produced using R. Click to zoom.)

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Not the periodic table

Google recently celebrated the birthday of Dmitri Mendeleev, father of the periodic table. That reminded me of the periodic table above (by “ham549”). No, the elements are not Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.

Some people still seem to think they are, however. Pre-scientific forms of medicine, such as Ayurveda, are still based on the elements being Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. A number of more modern forms of alternative medicine also take this ancient system as a basis. And what about splitting the beer atom?

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