Lv#117 / 118Og

117Ts[294]

Superheavy / Unknownsolid at STPP-block

Tennessine

Group: 17•Period: 7•Standard Atomic Weight: [294] u

Open Full Periodic Table View Bohr Model

Why is Tennessine in this position?

Understanding the scientific rationale behind Tennessine's position in the periodic table:

Group Assignment

Group 17

Belongs to Group 17 (Halogens) as the heaviest halogen (7s² 7p⁵).

Period Assignment

Period 7

Belongs to Period 7 because its outermost electrons occupy n=7.

Orbital Block

P-block

Belongs to the p-block because its valence electrons fill 7p orbitals.

Chemical Category

Superheavy / Unknown

Classified as a superheavy halogen, though relativistic effects give it metallic properties.

Atomic Structure & Bohr Shell Model

Shell Distribution: [2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 7]

Bohr Atomic Shell Model(2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 7)

Hover or tap any shell orbit ring to inspect electron counts and 2n² capacities.

117 Protons (p⁺)177 Neutrons (n⁰)

Educational Note: This Niels Bohr planetary model visually illustrates principal quantum energy shells ($n=1, 2, 3\dots$) and electron counts. In modern quantum mechanics (Schrödinger model), electrons do not orbit in fixed circular planetary tracks, but exist as 3D probability clouds (orbitals: $s, p, d, f$) governed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Electron Shell Filling Breakdown

Shell K (n=1):2 / 2 electrons (100%)

Shell L (n=2):8 / 8 electrons (100%)

Shell M (n=3):18 / 18 electrons (100%)

Shell N (n=4):32 / 32 electrons (100%)

Shell O (n=5):32 / 50 electrons (64%)

Shell P (n=6):18 / 72 electrons (25%)

Shell Q (n=7):7 / 98 electrons (7%)

Aufbau Electron Configuration

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 5f¹⁴ 6s² 6p⁶ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p⁵

Neutral ground state configuration. Valence electrons: 7.

Atomic & Quantum Properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)Not available

1st Ionization Energy742.9 kJ/mol

Electron Affinity-165.9 kJ/mol

Atomic Radius (empirical)138 pm

Common Oxidation States+1, +3

Crystal StructureUnknown

Physical & Thermal Properties

Density at STP7.2 g/cm³ (predicted)

Melting Point450 °C (723 K)

Boiling Point610 °C (883 K)

Magnetic OrderingParamagnetic

Discovery Year2010

Discovered ByJoint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna), Lawrence Livermore & Oak Ridge National Lab

Real-World Uses, Occurrence & Compounds

Major Industrial & Everyday Uses

Frontier scientific research into relativistic spin-orbit coupling in superheavy halogens

Occurrence in Nature

Synthesized in accelerators by bombarding Berkelium-249 targets with Calcium-48 projectile ions.

Etymology & Name Origin

Named in honor of the US State of Tennessee, home to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University

Important Chemical Compounds

None (single atoms produced)

Interesting Chemical Facts

• The synthesis of Tennessine required 22 milligrams of rare Berkelium-249 produced over an entire year at the Oak Ridge reactor in Tennessee.
• Unlike light halogens (F, Cl, Br, I), Tennessine is predicted to be a dark metallic or metalloid solid rather than a diatomic nonmetal.
• The longest-lived isotope, Tennessine-294, has a half-life of 78 milliseconds.

Safety & Handling Note

Highly radioactive; produced only on a single-atom basis.