As of the time our textbook went to press, 118 different elements had been discovered. All of the ones with atomic number over 92 have been made in physics laboratories. When element 119 (one that has not yet been identified) is found, provided it is like the other artificially made elements, it will:
A) have only protons, no neutrons at all
B) soon be used in industry to make new kinds of plastics
C) have one of the smallest nuclei known
D) only remain stable for an extremely small fraction of a second
E) eventually be found in the Sun (with very high quality spectrometers)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All artificially made elements with atomic number over 92 are highly unstable and can only exist for a very short amount of time before decaying into smaller nuclei. Therefore, it is highly likely that element 119, if it ever is discovered, will also be highly unstable and only remain stable for a fraction of a second. Choice A is incorrect because all known elements have at least one neutron, and Choice B is not necessarily true since the properties and potential industrial applications of element 119 are unknown. Choice C is also not necessarily true since the size of a nucleus is determined by the number of protons and neutrons it contains, and we do not know the properties of element 119. Choice E is also not necessarily true since we have not detected element 119 yet and do not know if it will exist in the Sun.

As of the Time Our Textbook Went to Press, 118