Cf

Californium (Atomic Number 98)

Category: actinide | Period 7, Group 3 | Block: f

Powerful neutron emitter used in nuclear reactor startups and oil logging.

Atomic & Physical Constants

Standard Atomic Weight:
251 u
Standard State Phase:
Synthetic
Electron Configuration:
2, 8, 18, 32, 28, 8, 2
Electronegativity (Pauling):
1.3
Melting Point:
1173 K
Boiling Point:
1743 K

Historical Discovery & Real-World Applications

Industrial & Scientific Uses

Nuclear reactor startup source, oil well neutron logging, cement analysis

Discovery History

Discovered by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (1950).

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