Hassium

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/hassium

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 Hassium?Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany
2. What is the atomic number?108
3. What is the element symbol?Hs
4. How do scientists make Hassium?Scientists smash heavy nuclei with lighter ones in high‑energy labs. They use a method called cold fusion to keep the energy low and increase the chance of forming Hassium.
5. Why does Hassium disappear so fast?Hassium is unstable and breaks apart in just a few seconds. It splits into lighter pieces, a process called spontaneous fission.

Superheavy Element: Elements with atomic numbers greater than 103, typically synthesized artificially.
Half-life: The time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay into other elements.
Spontaneous Fission: The process by which an atomic nucleus breaks apart into lighter nuclei without external influence.
Island of Stability: A theoretical region where superheavy elements are predicted to have longer half-lives due to specific nuclear configurations.