108
Room of the Elements · No. 108
Hassium (Hs): what kind of element is it?
日本語
In short
Hassium is element number 108, with the symbol Hs. Its name comes from Hassia, the Latin name of a German state.
Atomic number 108(277)
HsHassiumハッシウム (hasshiumu)- Symbol
- Hs
- Atomic weight
- (277)
- Place in the table
- Period 7 · Group 8
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 German state’s name
Hassium was found in West Germany (as it was then) in 1984, made by smashing iron (number 26) into lead (number 82). Its name was decided in 1997.
In a 1994 proposal, element 108 was to be called “hahnium,” with the symbol “Hn.” In 1997 today’s “hassium” and “Hs” were decided.
Where it sits on the table
Hassium is in the seventh row of Group 8, at the bottom of the column with iron, ruthenium and osmium.
Think about it
- Q1What is 82 + 26?
- Q2Element 109, meitnerium, was found in 1982, and element 108, hassium, in 1984. Why might elements not be found in order of their numbers?
- Q3Can you name the Group 8 elements from the top?
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — Elements with names linked to Germany: germanium (the Latin name of Germany), hassium (a state) and darmstadtium (a city).
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). Origin of the name germanium:
Sugiyama, “The Origins of Element Symbols,” Kagaku to Kyōiku 43(12), 1995 (Chemical Society of Japan). All sources are in Japanese.
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