Department of Education

Region IV-A (CALABARZON)

Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City
Science Lesson Learning Resources
Guided Discovery Approach
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Concept of Atomic Number Led to the Synthesis of New Elements in the Laboratory
Most Essential Learning Competency
 Explain how the concept of atomic number led to the synthesis of new elements in the
laboratory
Objectives
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. explain how the concept of atomic number led to the synthesis of new elements in the laboratory;
2. identify the different elements formed after the process of synthesis;
3. realize the importance of the atomic number in identifying the new elements identity in the periodic
table.
Task Setting
Reaching the top
Directions: Answer the following open-ended questions at the end of the lesson
Note: This series of questions will serve as a guide for what you should learn by the end of the
lesson.

3
What is the importance of the atomic number in
G identifying the new element’s identity in the periodic
O table?
A 2
L What are different elements formed after the process
of synthesis?

1 How the concept of atomic number led to the

synthesis of new elements in the laboratory?
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City
Collaboration
Activity 1: Study buddy time
Directions: Read and identify the key concepts and ideas in the following statement. Collaborate with
your study partners to complete the task. Each group should put together a word bank for their study
partners. The group's leader will collect concepts and ideas from its members, verify them with the
teacher, and use them in activity 1.

 How does the concept of the atomic number lead to the synthesis of elements?

Moseley’s X-ray Spectroscopy

Henry Gwyn-Jeffreys Moseley was an English physicist who demonstrated that the atomic

number, the number of protons in an atom, determines most of the properties of an element. He
began his study of radioactivity in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory but later decided to explore more on
X-rays.

In 1913, Moseley published a paper on the arrangement of the elements in the Periodic table based
on their atomic numbers. He used X-ray spectroscopy to determine the atomic number of an element.
He bombarded a beam of electrons to different elements and measured their X-ray spectral lines. His
results clearly showed that frequency of the X-rays given off by an element was mathematically
related to the position of that element in the Periodic table. The frequency is proportional to the
charge of the nucleus, or the atomic number.

When the elements were arranged according to their atomic numbers, there were four gaps in the
table. These gaps corresponded to the atomic numbers 43, 61, 85, and 87. These elements were
later synthesized in the laboratory through nuclear transmutations.

Discovery of Nuclear Transmutation

In 1919, Ernest Rutherford successfully carried out a nuclear transmutation reaction — a

reaction involving the transformation of one element or isotope into another element. He bombarded
alpha particles from radium directed to the nitrogen nuclei. He showed that the nitrogen nuclei
reacted to the alpha particles to form an oxygen nucleus. The reaction is written as

147N+42He→178O+11H714N+24He→817O+11H

However, both alpha particles and atomic nuclei are positively charged, so they tend to repel
each other. Therefore, instead of using fast-moving alpha particles in synthesizing new elements,
atomic nuclei are often bombarded with neutrons (neutral particles) in particle accelerators.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City
The Discovery of the Missing Elements

Recall that in 1925, there were four vacancies in the periodic table corresponding to the atomic
numbers 43, 61, 85, and 87. Two of these elements were synthesized in the laboratory using particle
accelerators.

A particle accelerator is a device that is used to speed up the protons to overcome the
repulsion between the protons and the target atomic nuclei by using magnetic and electrical fields. It
is used to synthesize new elements.

In 1937, American physicist Ernest Lawrence synthesized element with atomic number 43

using a linear particle accelerator. He bombarded molybdenum (Z=42) with fast-moving neutrons.
The newly synthesized element was named Technetium (Tc) after the Greek word "technêtos"
meaning “artificial.” Tc was the first man-made element.

In 1940, Dale Corson, K. Mackenzie, and Emilio Segre discovered element with atomic

number 85. They bombarded atoms of bismuth (Z=83) with fast-moving alpha particles in a cyclotron.
A cyclotron is a particle accelerator that uses alternating electric field to accelerate particles that
move in a spiral path in the presence of a magnetic field. Element-85 was named astatine from the
Greek word “astatos” meaning unstable.

The two other elements with atomic numbers 61 and 87 were discovered through studies in
radioactivity. Element-61 (Promethium) was discovered as a decay product of the fission of uranium
while element-87 (Francium) was discovered as a breakdown product of uranium.

Synthesis of New Elements

In the 1930s, the heaviest element known was uranium, with an atomic number 92. Early in
1940, Edwin McMillan proved that an element having an atomic number 93 could be created. He
used a particle accelerator to bombard uranium with neutrons and created an element with an atomic
number 93 which he named neptunium.

At the end of 1940, element-94 was synthesized by Seaborg, McMillan, Kennedy, and Wahl.

They bombarded uranium with deuterons (particles composed of a proton and a neutron) in a
cyclotron. Element-94 was named plutonium.

Elements with atomic numbers greater than 92 (atomic number of uranium) are
called transuranium elements. Hence, neptunium and plutonium are both transuranium elements.
They are unstable and decay radioactively into other elements. All of these elements were discovered
in the laboratory as artificially generated synthetic elements. They are prepared using nuclear
reactors or particle accelerators. In the next lesson, you will learn the nuclear reactions involved in the
synthesis of these transuranium elements.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City

Activity 1: Complete the table below

Event/ Concept/ Ideas Person/s Involve Explanation / Definition/
Description
X-ray Spectroscopy

Nuclear Transmutation

Discovery of the Missing

Elements
Synthesis of New Elements

Monitoring/ Scaffolding

Discussion
Neutron Capture Elements
 There are two principle paths to building the elements heavier than Fe. Both use the addition
of neutrons to existing `seed’ nuclei (neutrons have no charge so are much easier to add to
positively charged nuclei).
S-process (slow addition of neutrons)
R-process (rapid addition of neutrons)
The S-process
The S-process stands for the Slow addition of neutrons to nuclei. The addition of a no
produces heavier isotope of a particular element. However, if an electron is emitted (this is called
beta-decay), the nucleus moves one step up the periodic table.
 Slow’ here means that rate of no captures is low compared to the beta-decay rate.
 It really is slow. Sometimes 100’s of years goes by between neutron captures.
The s-process acting in the range from Ag to Sb.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City

- Here a neutron changed into a proton by emitting an electron

 The S-process can produce elements up to #83 - Bismuth. There are peaks in the Solar
System abundance of heavy elements at 38Sr, 56Ba and 82Pb. These are easily understood
in the context of the S-process and `magic’ numbers of neutrons.
 The site of the S-process is AGB start during and between shell flashes. The no source is a
by-product of C13+He4 -> O16
 43Tc is an s-process nucleus and proof that it is in operation in AGB stars. Asymptotic Giant
Branch Stars. All AGB stars are long-period variable stars of which the luminous pulsation is
considered to relate with the mass loss by the stellar wind.
The R-process
 The R-process is the Rapid addition of neutrons to existing nuclei. Rapid here means that
many neutrons are added before a betadecay occurs.
 First build up a VERY heavy isotope, then, as beta-decays occur, you march up in atomic
number and produce the REALLY HEAVY STUFF.
 For this to happen, a big burst of neutrons is needed. The most promising place with the right
conditions is in a SNII explosion right above the collapsed core.
 We see an overabundance of R-process elements in the oldest stars. As the early chemical
enrichment of the Galaxy was through SNII, this is evidence of SNII as the source of r-process
elements.
 If we look at the Crab Nebula or other SNII remnants we don’t see r-process elements.
 We DO see regions of enhanced O, Si, Ne and He which appear to reflect the `onion skin’
structure of the massive star progenitor.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City
The Transuranic Elements
In the 1930s, the heaviest element known was uranium, with an atomic number 92. Early in
1940, Edwin McMillan proved that an element having an atomic number 93could be created. He used
a particle accelerator to bombard uranium with neutrons and created an element with an atomic
number 93 which he named neptunium.
Transuranic elements are synthetic elements with atomic numbers higher than that of Uranium (Z =
92).

At the end of 1940, element-94 was synthesized by Seaborg, McMillan, Kennedy, and Wahl. They
bombarded uranium with deuterons (particles composed of a proton and a neutron) in a cyclotron.
Element-94 was named plutonium.
Elements with atomic numbers greater than 92 (atomic number of uranium) are called
transuranium elements. Hence, neptunium and plutonium are both transuranium elements. They are
unstable and decay radioactively into other elements. All these elements were discovered in the
laboratory as artificially generated synthetic elements. They are prepared using nuclear reactors or
particle accelerators. In the next lesson, you will learn the nuclear reactions involved in the synthesis
of these transuranium elements.

Stellar nucleosynthesis
This is the process by which elements are created within stars by combining the protons and
neutrons together from the nuclei of lighter elements. Fusion inside stars transforms hydrogen into
helium, heat, and radiation. Heavier elements are created in different types of stars as they die or
explode.
The Superheavy Elements
Superheavy elements are elements with atomic numbers beyond 103. These are produced by
bombarding heavy nuclear targets with accelerated heavy projectiles.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City

Following are the equations of several nuclear reactions that have important roles in the history of
nuclear chemistry:
 The first naturally occurring unstable element that was isolated, polonium, was discovered by
the Polish scientist Marie Curie and her husband Pierre in 1898. It decays, emitting particles:

Activity 2: Check your Knowledge

Directions: Write the nuclear reactions involved in the synthesis of each of the following new elements

1. Curium (Z = 96) was formed by reacting Pu – 239 with alpha particles 42He. It has a half-life of
162 days.
2. Mendelevium (Z = 101) was formed by reacting En-253 with alpha particles.
3. Meitnerium (Z = 109) was formed by cold fusion which involves the combination of Bi and Fe
nuclides at ordinary temperature

Activity 3: Show how elements are synthesized

Directions: watch the video presentation and discuss it with your study buddies. Following the viewing, each
group should Make an illustration of how elements are synthesized.

Link: SYNTHESIS OF ELEMENTS IN THE LABORATORY | Tiktok Lesson Compilation | ScienceKwela on TikTok - YouTube

Note: Outputs must include the following process.

1. Proton-Proton Chain reaction

2. Tri alpha process
3. S- process
4. R- Process

Example:

Source: brainly.in
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City

Rubrics
Performance Indicator 1 2 3 4
Student No evidence Minimal evidence Show good effort Complete
Understanding and of of understanding in presenting presentation of
Demonstration of understanding the concepts and concepts and element
Concept the concepts ideas about ideas about synthesis
and ideas element synthesis element concepts and
about element synthesis ideas
synthesis

Effort and Piece is Minimal effort. Student has met Piece is complete
Perseverance incomplete. Work is all requirements with substantial
Little to no somewhat and has worked evidence of effort
self- careless and or diligently each beyond that
responsibility student had to be day. which was
in terms of consistently required. Student
completing reprimanded to has worked
task. Piece is resume work. diligently each
complete with day.
good effort.
Neatness/Final Piece is Minimal effort. Piece is complete Piece is complete
Presentation sloppily Piece is with good effort at with substantial
rendered with carelessly presentation of effort beyond that
smudge presented with piece carefully required. Extra
marks and or little effort at rendered. effort in rendering
tears and rendering a clear a clean clear
wrinkles. clean output composition
Student has suitable for
met all display.
requirements.
 Department of Education
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Division of San Pablo City
SAN CRISTOBAL INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
San Pablo City
Consolidating
Activity 4: Reaching the top
Directions: On this activity, you will see Steps with the topic/questions written on its side. Fill out the
parts of the steps with all the concepts you have learned in this module.

What is the importance of the atomic number in

3 identifying the new element’s identity in the periodic
table?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

2 What are different elements formed after the process

of synthesis?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

1
How the concept of atomic number led to the
synthesis of new elements in the laboratory?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________