Californium

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/californium

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Californium?Californium-251 (898 years)
2. What is the element symbol and atomic number?Cf, 98
3. What is the synthesis method?Bombardment of curium with alpha particles (helium-4 ions)
4. How was Californium made?Scientists bombarded curium with alpha particles in a particle accelerator. This produced Californium in a laboratory in California in 1950.
5. Why is Californium useful for nuclear reactors?Californium-252 releases many neutrons when it breaks apart. Those neutrons can start the chain reaction that powers a nuclear reactor.

Actinide Series: A group of 15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers from 89 to 103, forming a distinct series in the periodic table.
Transuranium Element: Elements with atomic numbers greater than 92 (Uranium), which are not found naturally on Earth and are synthesized in laboratories.
Spontaneous Fission: A type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei and often neutrons, without external influence.
Neutron Diffraction: A technique used to determine the atomic and magnetic structure of a material by scattering neutrons from the material.