Question

What is the IUPAC symbol of Rutherfordium?
(A) Rt
(B) Ru
(C) Rf
(D) Rd

Answer 1

Rutherfordium is a radioactive element, whose atomic number is 104 and present in group 4 of the periodic table. Its chemical symbol is Rf.

Complete Solution :
- Rutherfordium is a synthetic element. It cannot be found in nature. It can be created only in the laboratory.
- It is a chemical element with Atomic number 104 and it is represented by the symbol Rf.
- It was named Rutherfordium, in the honor of the Physicist Ernest Rutherfordium.
- It belongs to the group 4 and period 7.
- It is a d-block element.
- Its electronic configuration is $[Rn]5{{f}^{14}}6{{d}^{2}}7{{s}^{2}}$.
- Rutherfordium is a transuranium element. It is prepared by bombarding Californium-249 with Carbon-12 nuclei.
- Rutherfordium is a radioactive element and it has a stable isotope of $R{{f}^{267}}$ .
- It has a half-life of around 1.3 hours.
- Due to very small quantities produced and its short half-life, Rutherfordium cannot be used anywhere else, other than scientific research. Its other uses are yet to be discovered.
- Rutherfordium is the first super heavy element to be discovered. Super heavy elements are usually located in the period 7, the bottom row of the periodic table.
So, the correct answer is “Option C”.

Additional Information:
- Atomic weight is 267.
- Relative mass is 267.12.
- Oxidation state is +4.
- Physical state is solid at room temperature.

Note: - In 1964, the Soviet scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna, Russia discovered the element 104, and named it Kurchatovium (Ku).
- Later, in 1969, a group of American researchers announced that they had discovered isotopes of the element, which is different from the one that was identified by the Soviets.
- Then the Americans proposed the name Rutherfordium, in honor of the British physicist Ernest Rutherford.