Cn
285.000Copernicium
Kopernikyum
Copernicium is a synthetic superheavy Group 12 element with atomic number 112. It is known for copernicium-285, relativistic noble-liquid behavior, weak gold-surface interactions and its name honoring Nicolaus Copernicus.
112
285 g/mol
[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s²
2 | 8 | 18 | 32 | 32 | 18 | 2
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23.7 g/cm³
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GSI Darmstadt
Copernicium was synthesized at GSI Darmstadt in 1996 by bombarding lead-208 with zinc-70 ions. The element honors Nicolaus Copernicus, whose heliocentric model transformed astronomy.
Copernicium-285
Half-life: About 29 seconds. Longest-lived commonly cited copernicium isotope and useful in atom-at-a-time chemistry discussions.- Gas-phase chemistry experiments on atom-at-a-time superheavy elements
- Testing relativistic predictions for Group 12 chemistry
- Comparisons with mercury, radon and noble-liquid-like behavior
- Nuclear decay studies
Copernicium has no biological role. It is synthetic, radioactive and too short-lived for biological chemistry.
- Copernicium is in Group 12 below mercury, but relativistic effects make it much less metallic than a simple trend would suggest.
- Gas-phase and surface experiments compare copernicium’s interaction with gold to mercury and radon-like behavior.
- Theoretical work has described copernicium as a “relativistic noble liquid.”
- Copernicium has atomic number 112 and symbol Cn.
- Its predicted electron configuration is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s².
- Copernicium is a Group 12 superheavy element below mercury.
- Remember Cn for strong relativistic effects and noble-liquid-like behavior.
What is the atomic number of copernicium?
The atomic number of copernicium is 112.
What is the electron configuration of copernicium?
Copernicium is commonly listed with the predicted electron configuration [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s².
What is copernicium used for?
Copernicium is used only in superheavy element chemistry and nuclear research.
Why is copernicium unusual?
Relativistic effects make copernicium much more volatile and weakly interacting than ordinary Group 12 trends suggest.
Who is copernicium named after?
Copernicium is named after Nicolaus Copernicus.