Astatines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. this also relates to an element in the periodic table that is noted for its rarity and high radioactivity
2. it can describe both the chemical properties and the unique challenge of studying elements that are so fleeting and unstable
3. An element that occupies a specific position on the periodic table, recognized for its extreme rarity and significant radioactivity

Etymology: Astatine is element 85, and its name records a property that scientists could only infer. The name comes from Ancient Greek "ástatos," meaning "unstable," built from "a-" (not) and "statos," a form related to "hístēmi," "to stand" or "to set up." Chemists added the "-ine" ending, the same suffix used for other halogens such as chlorine, bromine and iodine, to mark the element's place in that family. The name reflects the element's extreme instability. Astatine has no stable isotopes, and its longest-lived isotope lasts only a few hours, so any sample decays almost as soon as it exists. Researchers have only ever produced it in tiny quantities, which makes its chemistry hard to study directly. The plural "astatines" simply refers to several different isotopes or several atoms of the element, a usage that follows from the word's status as a countable chemical name.

Synonyms: halogen, radioactive element