Mendelevium

What is Mendelevium?

Mendelevium is a special kind of metal that scientists make in labs. It is not found in nature and must be created using big science tools. It has the symbol Md and the atomic number 101.

How was Mendelevium discovered?

Mendelevium was first made in 1955 at the University of California, Berkeley. A team of scientists led by Stanley G. Thompson used a special machine called a cyclotron to create it. They shot tiny particles at another special element called einsteinium to make mendelevium.

The element was named after Dmitri Mendeleev, the scientist who created the periodic table of elements. Mendelevium is the ninth transuranic element ever made.

Fun facts about Mendelevium

Mendelevium is part of a group called actinides. It sits in the periodic table between fermium and nobelium. Because it is very hard to make, scientists have only studied very small amounts of it.

All forms of mendelevium disappear quickly. The version that lasts the longest stays around for about 51 days. Scientists use special tools to catch and move these tiny atoms for testing and learning.