Name: Lin Yulong (19) Class: 2A3 Date: 14/01/2011

Task 1:
i) Scientists have created all the elements beyond element 92. Find out how they have
been made.

Synthetic elements are unstable chemical elements and are not naturally found on the
Earth, as they get decayed into other elements within a short span of time. Therefore,
these elements are made artificially in laboratory, initially produced to fill the empty gaps
in the periodic table and later for research purposes.

There are a few ways in which synthetic elements can be made. The identity of an
element is defined by the number of protons in the nucleus of each atom of the element.
Thus, in order to manufacture a new element, one that is not known in nature, we must
create at least one atom whose atomic number (the number of protons in the nucleus) is
different from any other known element.

In reality, we typically require a rather large number of atoms in order to be able to

characterize them as representing a new element. One possible way to accomplish this
involves irradiating existing elements with selected nuclear particles, including such
particles as neutrons, protons, helium nuclei, and nuclei of heavier atoms, in such a
fashion that some of these particles may get incorporated into the nuclear structure of
the atoms of the elements being irradiated. The new nucleus that results may be different
from any nucleus that exists naturally and/or it may be radioactive and decay to some
other nuclear arrangement that may constitute a new nucleus.

References:
(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/synthetic-elements.html)
(http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4086.html)

ii) It is said that the stars are the ‘element factories of the universe’, that is, stars make the
elements. Do some research and find out how the stars make elements.

Stars are the main element-factories in the Universe.

Stars fuse hydrogen and helium into elements as heavy as iron and nickel, but the heavier
elements come mainly from supernovae, the explosions of giant stars that also create
dense neutron stars or occasionally black holes at their cores. In the superhot explosion,
most heavy elements arise when helium nuclei assemble into more massive nuclei, which
then absorb neutrons that decay into protons. These rapid-fire reactions forge elements
that climb the periodic table. But when nuclear astrophysicists studied these processes
and others in detail, they found gaps. For example, the sun and meteorites contain some
isotopes of the metals molybdenum and ruthenium with a high proportion of protons,
but with no clear origins in the accepted series of reactions.

Our Sun is a second-generation star. It was built from the dust of a former destroyed star.
From the same rubble and dust, the planets were born. The carbon atoms that built our
bodies and made life possible were once born in that former star.

References:
(http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2349510)
(http://focus.aps.org/story/v17/st14)

iii) Choose an element and research the following information about it:
- When it was discovered
- by whom it was discovered
- how it is found in nature
- its properties and uses.

Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who mistakenly thought it contained oxygen, discovered chlorine
in 1774 by collecting the gas released by the reaction of pyrolusite (manganese dioxide)
with the substance we now call hydrochloric acid. In 1810, Humphry Davy, who insisted
that it was an element, gave chlorine its name. The name chlorine is derived from the
greek word ‘chloros’, meaning pale green, referring to the color of the gas.

Chlorine can be found in nature as compounds sodium chloride (salt), carnallite, and
sylvite.

Chlorine has a relative atomic mass of 35.5, is in the gaseous state at room temperature,
is pale green in colour, and has melting and boiling points of -101ºC and -35ºC
respectively. Chlorine is a very important chemical used in bleaches, degreasing agents,
pesticides, disinfectants and in the manufacture of PVC. As blood bags have to be non-
biodegradable, they are made of PVC.

References:
(http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/17.html)
(http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cl.htm)
(http://www.chemicool.com/elements/chlorine.html)
(http://lss2.wiki.hci.edu.sg/Periodic+Table#The Halogens)

References:
 George Chabot, PhD, CHP (2004). [On-Line]. Available:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/synthetic-elements.html. (January 23, 2011)
 Mayuri Kulkarni. Buzzle.com (2000). [On-Line]. Available:
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4086.html. (January 23 2011)

 Crowsnest (2010). [On-Line]. Available:

http://www.answerbag.com/Aq_view/2349510. (January 23, 2010)
 Robert Irion (2006). [On-Line]. Available: http://focus.aps.org/story/v17/st14.
(January 23, 2011)

 University of California (2003). Chemistry Operations. [On-Line]. Available:

http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/17.html. (January 23 2011)
 Lenntech Water treatment & purification Holding B.V (1998). [On-Line].
Available: http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cl.htm. (January 23, 2011)
 "Chlorine." Chemicool Periodic Table. 1/23/2011
<http://www.chemicool.com/elements/chlorine.html>.
 Dr Tan KK (2011). [On-Line]. Available:
http://lss2.wiki.hci.edu.sg/Periodic+Table#The Halogens. 23 January 2011.