98. Californium (Cf)

Meet Californium (Cf), element 98! ⚛️ Discovered at UC Berkeley in 1950, this superheavy, radioactive element is named after California and has key uses in nuclear science and cancer treatment! 🌟 #Californium #Element98 #PeriodicTable #SuperheavyElement #California #ScienceFacts #NuclearChemistry #ElementDiscovery #Radioactivity #RareElements #SyntheticElement #AtomicNumber98 #Actinides #ElementResearch #NeutronSource #PeriodicTableElement #NuclearScience #Chemistry #CancerTreatment

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Californium (Cf) is the chemical element with atomic number 98 on the periodic table. It is a synthetic, radioactive element and part of the actinide series. Californium was first synthesized in 1950 at the University of California, Berkeley by a team of scientists led by Stanley G. Thompson, Glenn T. Seaborg, and Albert Ghiorso. The element is named after the state of California, where it was discovered.

Key Facts about Californium:
- Symbol: Cf
- Atomic Number: 98
- Element Category: Actinide (transition metal)
- Radioactivity: Highly radioactive with a relatively long half-life for some isotopes.
- First Synthesized: 1950
- Named After: California, the U.S. state where it was first discovered.
- Properties: Californium is one of the few transuranium elements with practical applications. Its isotopes, particularly Cf-252, are used in neutron radiography, cancer treatment, and as a neutron source in scientific research.

Because of its ability to emit neutrons, californium is used in nuclear reactors, oil exploration, and medical radiotherapy, though it is dangerous and must be handled with care due to its intense radioactivity.