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rutherfordium
Definition
Rutherfordium is a very rare chemical element with the symbol Rf and atomic number 104. It was first created in 1964 by scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Rutherfordium is named after Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908.
Rutherfordium is a radioactive element that does not exist naturally on Earth. It can only be created in laboratories by bombarding other elements with high-energy particles. Rutherfordium is very unstable and has a half-life of just a few seconds. This means that it decays very quickly into other elements.
Rutherfordium has not yet been used for any practical applications. However, scientists are studying it to learn more about its properties. Rutherfordium may have potential applications in nuclear medicine and in the development of new nuclear weapons.
How can the word be used?
Rutherfordium is a radioactive element and is not found in nature.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
- a chemical element with the symbol Rf and atomic number 104. It is a synthetic element, meaning that it does not occur naturally in nature.
Adjective:
- relating to or containing rutherfordium.
Etymology
The word "rutherfordium" is named after Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander physicist who is considered to be the father of nuclear physics.
The first recorded use of the word "rutherfordium" was in 1964, by a team of scientists from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. They were the first to synthesise rutherfordium.
The word "rutherfordium" is a New Latin word, which means that it was created by scientists. It is derived from the name of Ernest Rutherford.
Question
What is rutherfordium?