Ds, in the periodic table, is the symbol for Darmstadtium, a synthetic chemical element with atomic number 110.
Darmstadtium is an extremely radioactive element and does not occur naturally. It is created in laboratories through nuclear reactions.
Key Properties of Darmstadtium:
- Symbol: Ds
- Atomic Number: 110
- Appearance: Predicted to be a silvery-white metal, but not yet observed due to its radioactivity.
- Radioactivity: Extremely radioactive. Its most stable known isotope, darmstadtium-281, has a half-life of approximately 14 seconds.
- Synthesis: Synthesized through nuclear reactions, typically involving the fusion of lighter nuclei.
- Position in Periodic Table: It is a d-block element (transition metal) and is located in group 10, period 7 of the periodic table. It's placed under nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), and platinum (Pt).
History:
Darmstadtium was first synthesized in 1994 at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany, hence its name. The element was created by bombarding lead-208 with nickel-62 nuclei in a heavy-ion accelerator.
Isotopes:
Several isotopes of darmstadtium have been synthesized, ranging in mass number from 267 to 282. These isotopes are all radioactive and decay rapidly.
Significance:
Darmstadtium, like other transuranic elements, is primarily of scientific interest. Its study helps scientists understand the properties of superheavy elements and test models of nuclear structure. Because of its short half-life, it has no practical applications outside of research.
In summary, Ds represents the synthetic, radioactive element Darmstadtium, element 110 on the periodic table.
