Page 126 - The Periodic Table Book

96
Cm Curium

State: Solid
96 96 151 Discovery: 1944

Actinides This lander
studied
the surface
composition
of the
comet 67P. Philae lander

Curium is a silvery, radioactive metal that
glows reddish purple in the dark. This element
was discovered by the US scientist Glenn T Seaborg
at the University of California. It was named after
Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered the element
polonium. Several space probes, such as the Philae
comet lander, use X-ray devices containing curium
Marie Curie working in her laboratory to study their environment.

97
Bk Berkelium

State: Solid
97 97 150 Discovery: 1949

This element was named after the city
of Berkeley – home to the University of
California – where this artificial element
was discovered. It was first synthesized by
Glenn T Seaborg. Berkelium has no uses
other than the creation of heavier elements,
such as tennessine.

Seaborg
helped develop
the atom bomb,
but opposed
using it in
World War II.

124 University of California, Berkeley campus, USA Glenn T Seaborg

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