Francium | |
---|---|
Properties | |
Atomic symbol | Fr |
Atomic number | 87 |
Classification | Alkali Metals |
Atomic mass | 223 amu |
Other Information | |
Date of discovery | 1939 |
Name of discoverer | Marguerite Perey |
Name origin | Named after France. |
Uses | None (far too short lived for any application). |
Obtained from | Not commercially available, it is formed by the decay of actinium. |
Francium is an element, it is the heaviest discovered Alkali metal. It is very unstable and radioactive. It lasts for a very short time period (half life of approximately 22 minutes[1]) before decaying into Astatine via alpha decay or Radium via Beta Decay.
It is estimated that only between 20 and 30 grams of it exist in the earth's crust at any given point in time [2] and is in fact the second rarest naturally occurring element after Astatine. The only reason it exists is because of its part in the decay chain of Uranium.
Francium would presumably be more reactive than Cesium, reacting violently with Water to produce Francium Hydroxide and Hydrogen Gas. It would also react with Oxygen rapidly in the air. It has an estimated melting point of 27 degrees Celsius, which would make it liquid in a warm room. None of these are confirmed owing to the rarity of the element and are based on the reactivity of the rest of the series.
Periodic Table of the Elements | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||||
87
Fr 215 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Lanthanides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
**Actinides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Categories: [Metals]