Copernicium facts for kids
Copernicium (formerly called Ununbium) is a chemical element found on the Periodic Table. It is also known as eka-mercury. Its symbol is Cn. This element has the atomic number 112. It is a transuranium element, meaning it is heavier than uranium.
Scientists believe that copernicium is a liquid metal, just like mercury. Based on how other elements behave, it is likely to turn into a gas more easily than mercury does.
How Copernicium Was Discovered
Copernicium was first created on February 9, 1996. This happened at a research center called the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany.
To make copernicium, scientists used a special machine called a heavy ion accelerator. They smashed zinc atoms into a lead target. When a zinc atom and a lead atom joined together, they formed a new, heavier atom: copernicium.
Scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia also created this element in 2000 and 2004. In May 2006, they confirmed their findings using a different method. They looked at the tiny bits left behind when copernicium atoms broke down.
In February 2010, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially approved the name "Copernicium" and its symbol "Cn". The element was named after the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
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