Astatine: meaning, definitions and examples
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astatine
[ ˈæstəˌtiːn ]
chemical element
Astatine is a rare and highly radioactive element with the symbol At and atomic number 85. It is a member of the halogen group in the periodic table, which includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine. Due to its radioactivity and the extreme rarity in nature, astatine has limited practical applications and is primarily of interest in research settings. It is produced synthetically in particle accelerators and has isotopes that are used in targeted alpha-particle cancer therapies.
Examples of usage
- Astatine is the least stable of the halogens.
- Research on astatine is mainly focused on its potential medical applications.
- Astatine's radioactivity makes it challenging to study.
Translations
Translations of the word "astatine" in other languages:
🇵🇹 astatina
🇮🇳 ऐस्टेटीन
🇩🇪 Astat
🇮🇩 astatin
🇺🇦 астатин
🇵🇱 astat
🇯🇵 アstatin
🇫🇷 astatine
🇪🇸 astatina
🇹🇷 astatin
🇰🇷 아스타틴
🇸🇦 أستاتين
🇨🇿 astat
🇸🇰 astat
🇨🇳 砹
🇸🇮 astatin
🇮🇸 astatín
🇰🇿 астатин
🇬🇪 ასტატინი
🇦🇿 astatin
🇲🇽 astatina
Etymology
The name 'astatine' comes from the Greek word 'astatos', meaning unstable. This corresponds to its highly radioactive nature, as its isotopes have extremely short half-lives. Astatine was first synthesized in 1940 by a team of chemists at the University of California, Berkeley, when they bombarded bismuth with alpha particles. Its discovery was significant because it added a new element to the periodic table, although its scarcity and radioactivity posed challenges for research and application. Over the years, astatine has been the subject of various studies, particularly looking at its potential use in medicine and radiation therapy, despite it being one of the rarest naturally occurring elements on Earth.