Unquadnilium

Unquadnilium is the temporary systematic name for the hypothetical chemical element with atomic number 140. No element with this atomic number has been discovered.

Connect

Atomic number: The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, which determines its chemical element. Atomic number 140 is the defining identity behind unquadnilium.
Superheavy element: An element with a very high atomic number whose nuclei are produced artificially and decay rapidly. Element 140 belongs to the predicted region beyond known superheavy elements.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: The international organization that develops standards and nomenclature for chemistry. IUPAC established the systematic rules that generate unquadnilium.
Nuclear stability limit: The poorly defined upper boundary beyond which atomic nuclei cannot remain bound against decay. It is unknown whether a nucleus with 140 protons can be sufficiently bound to detect.
IUPAC systematic element name: A temporary element name formed from numerical roots and the suffix -ium under IUPAC rules. Unquadnilium follows this naming system for undiscovered elements.
Nuclear shell model: A model describing protons and neutrons as occupying quantized energy levels within the nucleus. Shell effects shape predictions about whether nuclei near element 140 could persist.
IUPAC systematic element naming: A digit-by-digit method for creating temporary names for elements before their discoveries are confirmed and names approved. The name combines roots for one, four, and zero, followed by -ium.
Nuclear fission: The splitting of an atomic nucleus into smaller nuclei, often accompanied by released energy and neutrons. Fission may destroy candidate element-140 nuclei before they can be observed.
Periodic table: A tabular arrangement of chemical elements ordered primarily by atomic number and grouped by recurring properties. Element 140 would extend the table beyond all confirmed elements.
Heavy ion fusion: A method of forming heavy nuclei by colliding accelerated atomic nuclei and capturing the resulting products. Fusion reactions are a possible route to producing nuclei near atomic number 140.