Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
mendelevium

mendelevium

1 9.9
A man-made radioactive metal that scientists use in research
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛn.dəˈlɛ.vi.əm/
  • Specialized
: mendelevio
  • The mendelevium isotope is highly unstable.

Examples

  • Because mendelevium is highly radioactive and scarce, it is mainly used in scientific research.

  • The chemical symbol for mendelevium was originally Mv, but it is now Md.

  • Scientists first produced mendelevium in 1955 by bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles.

  • Scientists discovered mendelevium in the 1950s.

  • Scientists discovered mendelevium after bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles.

  • The element mendelevium is used in research due to its radioactive properties.

  • In the periodic table, mendelevium is classified as a transuranic element.

Synonyms

Md
vsmendelevium
  • Specialized
8.8

A man-made radioactive metal element with atomic number 101

is the actual element produced by bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles

Surface Forms

mendelevium singular
mendeleviums plural

Morphology

mendelevium = Mendeleev (semi-transparent) = mendelev + ium

Formally built from the name 'Mendeleev' plus the element-forming suffix '-ium'; the naming pattern is clear but understanding requires knowledge of the chemist or chemical nomenclature, so it is not fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

The word mendelevium is named after the Russian chemist Mendeleev, who created the 'periodic table' that put the chemical elements in order, so the name honors him. The ending -ium, found in everyday element names like calcium, shows that mendelevium is a chemical element.