Californium (Cf)
"The Atomic Alchemist, Californium, wields precise nuclear power to detect hidden threats and illuminate the secrets of matter, making it a force for both protection and scientific breakthrough."
A memorable persona to anchor Cf in your mind.
15.1
Grams per cm³
900
Celsius (°C)
245
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Think of it as the ultra-specialized 'sniffer dog' that can detect bombs or treat specific cancers, though you'll never see it directly!
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1950
Discovered By
Stanley Thompson, Kenneth Street, Jr., Albert Ghiorso, and Glenn Seaborg
Origin of Name
"Californium is named for the university and state of California, where the element was first made."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
[251] u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
N/A
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 5f107s2
1st Ionization Energy
6.3 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A silvery-white metallic element that quickly dulls when exposed to air."
Did You Know?
Californium wasn't born on Earth! It's a synthetic element, meaning scientists created it in a lab, specifically at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1950.
Its name is a direct shout-out to its birthplace: California and the University of California where it was first synthesized.
Talk about exclusive! Californium-252 is one of the most expensive substances on Earth, costing around $27 million *per gram*! Forget diamonds, Cf is where it's at.
This element is a superstar neutron emitter! Its isotope Californium-252 (Cf-252) spontaneously releases vast amounts of neutrons, making it incredibly useful.