Nihonium Facts - Element 113 or Nh

Nihonium is a radioactive synthetic element with the symbol Nh and atomic number 113. Because of its position on the periodic table, the element is expected to be a solid metal at room temperature. The discovery of element 113 was made official in 2016. To date, few atoms of the element have been produced, so little is known about its properties.

Nihonium Basic Facts

Symbol: Nh

Atomic Number: 113

Element Classification: Metal

Phase: probably solid

Discovered By: Yuri Oganessian et al., Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia (2004). Confirmation in 2012 by Japan.

Nihonium Physical Data

Atomic Weight: [286]

Source: Scientists used a cyclotron to fire a rare calcium isotope at an americium target. Element 115 (moscovium) was created when the calcium and americium nuclei fused. The moscovium persisted for less than one-tenth of a second before decaying into element 113 (nihonium), which persisted for over a second.

Name Origin: Scientists at Japan's RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science proposed the element name. The name comes from the Japanese name for Japan (nihon) together with the -ium element suffix that is used for metals.

Electronic Configuration: [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹

Element Group: group 13, boron group, p-block element

Element Period: period 7

Melting Point: 700 K ​(430 °C, ​810 °F) (predicted)

Boiling Point: 1430 K ​(1130 °C, ​2070 °F) (predicted)

Density: 16 g/cm³ (predicted near room temperature)

Heat of Fusion: 7.61 kJ/mol (predicted)

Heat of Vaporization: 139 kJ/mol (predicted)

Oxidation States: −1, 1, 3, 5 ​(predicted)

Atomic Radius: 170 picometers

Isotopes: There are no known natural isotopes of nihonium. Radioactive isotopes have been produced by fusing atomic nuclei or else from the decay of heavier elements. Isotopes have atomic masses 278 and 282-286. All known isotopes decay via alpha decay.

Toxicity: There is no known or expected biological role for element 113 in organisms. Its radioactivity makes it toxic.