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114
Room of the Elements · No. 114

Flerovium (Fl): what kind of element is it?

日本語

In short

Flerovium is element number 114, with the symbol Fl. Its name comes from Georgy Flerov.
Atomic number 114(289)
FlFlerovium (furerobiumu)
Symbol
Fl
Atomic weight
(289)
Place in the table
Period 7 · Group 14

The number in parentheses is not an atomic weight. It is the mass number of one radioactive isotope of the element.

Atomic weight from the Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”.

A Russian–American team

In the 1990s the Cold War ended, and the United States and Russia began to do research together. At Dubna in Russia, the team used heavy elements provided by the United States as targets.

Flerovium was found in 2004, made by smashing calcium (number 20) into plutonium (number 94). The discovery was confirmed in 2011, and the name was decided in 2012.

Around here, elements with even atomic numbers are easier to make, so elements 114 and 116 were made first.

Where it sits on the table

Flerovium is in the seventh row of Group 14, at the bottom of the column with carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead.

Think about it

There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.

Did you know? — The Russian–American team that made elements 114 to 118 fired calcium (number 20) for every one of them.
Next steps
About this page
Symbol and atomic weight: Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights (2026)” and “Table of Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”. Origin of the name, year of discovery, year of naming and how it was made: Wakabayashi, “Chemistry of Superheavy Elements: The Birth of Nihonium Nh and Its Surroundings,” Kagaku to Kyōiku 65(3), 2017 (Chemical Society of Japan). All sources are in Japanese.
Written by CCN CO., LTD.
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