Copernicium

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/copernicium

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. Who discovered Copernicium?February 1996
2. What is the scientific name?Copernicium (Cn)
3. What is the atomic number?112
4. How do scientists create Copernicium?Scientists smash together a beam of light atoms, like zinc, with heavy atoms, like lead, at very high speeds. The tiny collision can fuse the atoms into a new element, but only a few Copernicium atoms are produced each day.
5. How long does Copernicium last before it decays?The most stable form of Copernicium, called Copernicium‑285, lasts about 30 seconds. After that, it quickly breaks into other, lighter atoms.

Synthetic Superheavy Element: An element with an atomic number greater than 104, created artificially and highly radioactive.
Heavy-Ion Fusion: A nuclear reaction where two atomic nuclei collide and merge to form a heavier nucleus.
Relativistic Effects: Quantum mechanical effects that become significant for electrons moving at speeds close to the speed of light.
Oxidation State: The hypothetical charge an atom would have if it lost or gained electrons in a compound.