• Question: If there could be one more element on the periodic table of elements, what would it do and be?

    Asked by Kester_is_da_best to David, Eva, Kate, Nicholas, Rachel on 11 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Nicholas Pearce

      Nicholas Pearce answered on 11 Nov 2015:

      Hey Kester,

      We usually have a good idea what an element would do – thanks to the periodic table! Elements that are below each other on the table will react in similar ways, so sulfur, which is below oxygen, will form bonds in the same way.
      Thanks again to the periodic table we know exactly where any newly discovered element would go, since the elements are ordered according to atomic number (how many protons it has), so we can guess what it would do because we know it;s position.
      There are a couple of gaps for elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 on the periodic table right now, so get looking for those elements šŸ™‚
      We also know that they would fall apart right after you’ve made them – for any element bigger than Uranium (number 92), the glue that holds it together isn’t strong enough to keep it in one piece.

    • Photo: David Nunan

      David Nunan answered on 11 Nov 2015:

      Hi Kester,

      Iā€™d like it to be something that is so small and light but strong that it can be used to make tiny machines.

      We already have loads of metals in the periodic table, including copper and gold but these are quite “heavy” elements due the numbers of oxidising ions.

      If we found a really “light” one (lighter than aluminium) maybe we could then use it to build these tiny machines to go into the human body and help destroy viruses and diseases like cancer in a really precise way without harming other cells in the body (like drugs currently do).

      Have you seen the film Inner space? So machines a bit like in that film.

    • Photo: Rachel McMullan

      Rachel McMullan answered on 11 Nov 2015:

      It would need to be something light and chemically stable. If it was light it could be used for aircraft, space shuttles and medical devices but it would also need to be stable so it didn’t break down in the air or in the body

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