Back in January, I reported that the periodic table would be getting an update because four new elements were discovered - finally, the new names have been penciled in.
Nihonium,
moscovium,
tennessine, and
oganesson will grace the blocks assigned to atomic numbers 113, 115, 117, and 118, said the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) today.
Nihonium, discovered by a Japanese team, means “the land of the rising sun,” while
moscovium and
tennessine are named after places near the labs where they were discovered (Moscow and Tennessee, of course). And
oganesson recognizes the work of Russian chemist Yuri Oganessian. By tradition, the right to suggest a name for an element is granted to its discoverer, although IUPAC has the final say.
Time to throw out that old copy of the periodic table...
