Fermium (Fm)

Fermium was discovered alongside einsteinium in hydrogen bomb fallout and named after Enrico Fermi.

A thermonuclear fireball cooling into debris, where a single fermium nucleus forms and sheds an alpha particle — Video: A thermonuclear fireball cooling into debris, where a single fermium nucleus forms and sheds an alpha particle

Properties of Fermium

Atomic number: 100
Category: Actinide
Atomic mass: 257 u
Electron configuration: [Rn] 5f¹² 7s²
Melting point: 1800 K (1526.85 °C)
Electronegativity (Pauling): 1.3
Appearance: Unknown, presumably metallic
Discovered by: Albert Ghiorso (1952)

Facts about Fermium

Fermium is named after Enrico Fermi, who created the first nuclear reactor!
Fermium was found in the fallout of the "Ivy Mike" hydrogen bomb test!
Fermium is the heaviest element that can be made by bombarding lighter elements with neutrons!
Only tiny amounts of fermium have ever been produced!

Fermium videos

A thermonuclear fireball cooling into debris, where a single fermium nucleus forms and sheds an alpha particle

Back to the periodic table · Fermium on Wikipedia