Superheavy Elements: Search for the End of the Periodic Table

The periodic table is on the wall of most science classrooms, but it is changing. Ken Moody, Chief Scientist for Radiochemistry, explains that recent discoveries of new elements have extended the periodic table beyond what was thought was possible, and demonstrates the existence of a collection of Superheavy Elements with unusual nuclear properties at the limits of stability. Explore the relationship between atoms and elements, and between nuclei and isotopes. Discover how new elements are produced and identified, and how this leads to experiments that tell us about the extreme limits of chemical behavior, the possible breakdown of periodicity, and the ultimate end of the periodic table. Series: "Lawrence Livermore National Lab Science on Saturday" [Science] [Show ID: 22009]