Astatine (Noun)
Meaning
A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series); a decay product of uranium and thorium.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Astatine is a highly radioactive and highly unstable halogen, being the heaviest of the halogen series.
- The most stable isotope of astatine has a half-life of just 8.1 hours, making it extremely difficult to work with.
- Astatine is a decay product of uranium and thorium, and is also produced artificially in nuclear reactors.
- Due to its highly unstable nature, astatine has no practical applications and is primarily of interest to researchers.
- The discovery of astatine in 1940 was a significant milestone in the field of nuclear physics, as it completed the halogen series.