francium [Fr]

Introduction

Named after France where it was discovered. Discovered in 1939 as a disintegration product of actinium by French chemist Marguerite Pery of the Curie Institute in Paris.

Occurrence

• very rare
• a minute amount is estimate to exist in the earth's crust
• < 28 grams of francium on earth at any one time
• produced artificially by bombarding thorium with protons

Characteristics

• highly radioactive element of the alkali metal group
• most unstable element of the 1st 103 elements in the periodic table
• 1/2life of most stable isotope is < 20 minutes

Uses

none

More general terms

• alkali metal
• radioactive element

Additional terms

• periodic table