Element identity / decay
Atomic number and nuclear-decay evidence are experimental.
Atom-surface chemistry
Very small atom-count adsorption/volatility experiments provide limited chemical evidence.
Broader chemistry
Relativistic Group 12 chemistry predictions are kept separate from measurement.
Bulk phase / density / crystal
No macroscopic state, melting point, boiling point, density or crystal lattice is asserted.
Discovery geography
GSI/Darmstadt is historical research geography, not natural occurrence.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Copernicium (Cn)
Copernicium is element 112, a synthetic superheavy Group 12 element named for Nicolaus Copernicus. Nuclear decay is measured, some atom-surface chemistry constrains reactivity, but its macroscopic state, density and phase boundaries remain experimentally unknown.
Copernicium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Copernicium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does copernicium have?
Copernicium’s atomic number is 112, so every copernicium atom has 112 protons, and a neutral atom also has 112 electrons. Copernicium has no stable isotopes, so the neutron count depends on the isotope: copernicium-285, featured on this page, has 173 neutrons.
What is the symbol for copernicium?
The chemical symbol for copernicium is Cn.
Is copernicium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Copernicium has only been made a few atoms at a time, so its state at room temperature is unknown.
What family (group) is copernicium in?
Copernicium is a transition metal (predicted), in group 12, period 7 of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of copernicium?
The ground-state electron configuration of copernicium is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s². This is a predicted configuration; it has not been measured.
From atomic number to chemistry
Read these as a chain of causes, not as isolated facts. Each step links to the concept hub if you want the underlying idea explained.
112 protons define copernicium.
The reference ground-state configuration frames atomic and chemical behavior.
Periodic position organizes recurring trends without replacing element-specific evidence.
The teaching nucleus is one isotope, not the relative atomic mass.
Phase claims are evidence-labelled; unknown superheavy bulk boundaries are not fabricated.
Copernicium in its period and family
Copernicium is placed in Group 12 below mercury. Strong relativistic effects are expected to make its chemistry unusual compared with zinc, cadmium and mercury.
Copernicium Visual Lab
Inspect a ²⁸⁵Cn teaching nucleus and 7s/6d probability models, then use Evidence Lens to separate decay-chain evidence and atom-surface experiments from predicted chemistry and unknown bulk phase, density and structure.
Every mark points to one exact feature
The numbered markers explain the same information system used throughout Element Lookup. Unknown or predicted fields remain visibly labelled rather than being replaced with guesses.
Copernicium in one minute
Atomic number 112 means 112 protons.
The reference configuration is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s².
Copernicium is synthetic; only very small numbers of atoms have been produced.
Macroscopic melting point, boiling point, density and crystal structure are unknown.
Atom-surface chemistry gives some experimental information about volatility/reactivity without creating a bulk sample.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 2 electrons
The 7s and representative 6d clouds are isolated-atom teaching approximations. They do not establish a measured liquid/solid state or a bulk metal band structure.
Only tiny atom counts have been created. No bulk crystal model is shown because no macroscopic copernicium lattice has been experimentally established.. The viewer is evidence-aware: measured structures are identified as such; unknown bulk structures stay unknown.
Teaching visualization; not a literal finite sample or thermal trajectory.What this model does—and does not—show
The 7s and representative 6d clouds are isolated-atom teaching approximations. They do not establish a measured liquid/solid state or a bulk metal band structure.
Where do I meet copernicium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Discovery at GSI
Element 112 was first produced at GSI in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1996 and later recognized by IUPAC.
Atom-surface evidence without a bulk sample
Copernicium has more chemical evidence than “nothing,” but far less than an ordinary metal sample. The page keeps that middle ground visible.
Decay-chain identity
Nuclear decay establishes copernicium isotopes and element 112 identity.
Zinc, mercury and copernicium
Move from well-measured Group 12 metals to an atom-at-a-time superheavy element.
| Evidence | bulk measured |
|---|---|
| Outer pattern | 3d¹⁰4s² |
| Evidence | bulk measured |
|---|---|
| State 20°C | liquid |
| Evidence | atom-scale + predicted |
|---|---|
| Bulk state | unknown |
Copernicium properties: atomic, physical, thermal and chemical
Categories follow the science of this element rather than a fixed decorative template. Each row carries condition/provenance context and an evidence label; unknown values stay unknown.
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic number | 112 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | [285] | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| ²⁸⁵Cn | Radioactive superheavy isotope | Reference teaching nucleus with 112 protons and 173 neutrons. | Evaluated |
| ²⁸³Cn | Radioactive isotope | Observed in superheavy decay chains and atom-scale chemistry experiments. | Evaluated |
| Copernicium isotope context | No stable isotopes | All known isotopes are short-lived research nuclides. | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Group / period / block | Group 12 · Period 7 · d-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Limited atom-scale chemistry; +2 often predicted | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ²⁸⁵Cn | Radioactive superheavy isotope | Reference teaching nucleus with 112 protons and 173 neutrons. | Evaluated |
| ²⁸³Cn | Radioactive isotope | Observed in superheavy decay chains and atom-scale chemistry experiments. | Evaluated |
| Copernicium isotope context | No stable isotopes | All known isotopes are short-lived research nuclides. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ²⁸⁵Cn · 112 protons + 173 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current use | Scientific research only | No commercial bulk use is implied. | Reviewed |
| Geography | Discovery, naming and research context only | No natural-resource map is appropriate. | Reviewed |
| Safety boundary | Non-operational educational context | No synthesis settings or material-access guidance. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Material / molecular structure | No measured macroscopic crystal structure | Only tiny atom counts have been created. No bulk crystal model is shown because no macroscopic copernicium lattice has been experimentally established. | Predicted |
| Melting / transition reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Boiling / gas reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Limited atom-scale chemistry; +2 often predicted | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page evidence note | Nuclear identity/decay are measured; atom-surface chemistry offers limited experimental chemical evidence; macroscopic density, phase boundaries, appearance and crystal structure remain unknown. Theory is labelled predicted. | Evidence summary for this guide | Reviewed |
| Structure evidence | Only tiny atom counts have been created. No bulk crystal model is shown because no macroscopic copernicium lattice has been experimentally established. | Measured structure, labelled schematic, prediction or explicit unknown as applicable. | Reviewed |
| Map evidence rule | Real pins are reviewed examples; conceptual layers are used when pins would mislead. | Geography Explorer 2.0 | Reviewed |
| Source set | 3 primary/reference links listed below | Open the Sources section for the actual references. | Reviewed |
Is Copernicium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
No measured macroscopic copernicium phase boundaries are available. The phase explorer therefore shows an evidence-aware unknown bulk region rather than asserting a room-temperature liquid or an invented melting point.
Where on Earth is Copernicium found or produced?
Who discovered Copernicium, and when?
GSI scientists in Darmstadt announced production of element 112.
IUPAC recognized the GSI team’s discovery claim.
The name copernicium and symbol Cn were formally approved.
Research focuses on nuclear decay, atom-scale chemistry and relativistic theory.
How copernicium evidence is built: nuclei, atoms and theory
Superheavy experiments create very few copernicium atoms in accelerator research; operational synthesis parameters are outside this page.
Decay chains establish isotope identity and nuclear properties.
Specialized atom-surface experiments can constrain volatility/chemical interaction one atom at a time.
Relativistic theory predicts properties that cannot yet be measured in bulk; those predictions remain explicitly labelled.
What is copernicium used for?
Fundamental nuclear research
Copernicium tests superheavy nuclear stability and decay models.
Relativistic chemistry
Atom-scale behavior probes how Group 12 chemistry changes at very high nuclear charge.
Periodic-table theory
Comparisons with Zn, Cd and Hg test the limits of simple down-group extrapolation.
No practical bulk use
No macroscopic sample exists for engineering or consumer applications.
Copernicium isotopes and natural abundance
²⁸⁵Cn
Radioactive superheavy isotopeReference teaching nucleus with 112 protons and 173 neutrons.
²⁸³Cn
Radioactive isotopeObserved in superheavy decay chains and atom-scale chemistry experiments.
Copernicium isotope context
No stable isotopesAll known isotopes are short-lived research nuclides.
Five-question Copernicium check
What is copernicium’s atomic number?
Where was it first produced?
Is the room-temperature bulk state measured?
What does the Evidence Lens do?
What is copernicium used for?
Copernicium questions students commonly ask
Each answer starts with the direct fact, then explains the chemistry, evidence or material context so the result is understandable rather than merely memorized.
What is copernicium’s atomic number?
Short answer: 112.
Atomic number is defined by proton count, so 112 protons are what make an atom copernicium. A neutral copernicium atom also has 112 electrons, while isotopes can have different neutron counts without changing the element.
Key point: Atomic number = proton count.
Is copernicium a transition metal?
Short answer: It is placed in Group 12/d-block, but superheavy relativistic effects make simple “ordinary transition metal” descriptions incomplete.
This guide classifies Copernicium as a superheavy synthetic element. Its periodic position is Period 7, d-block, Group 12. Copernicium is placed in Group 12 below mercury. Strong relativistic effects are expected to make its chemistry unusual compared with zinc, cadmium and mercury.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
Is copernicium a liquid at room temperature?
Short answer: No macroscopic room-temperature phase has been experimentally established. Treat definitive liquid/solid claims as predictions unless evidence is specified.
No measured macroscopic copernicium phase boundaries are available. The phase explorer therefore shows an evidence-aware unknown bulk region rather than asserting a room-temperature liquid or an invented melting point.
Key point: Phase statements need temperature, pressure and evidence context.
What is copernicium used for?
Short answer: Fundamental research only.
Fundamental nuclear research: Copernicium tests superheavy nuclear stability and decay models. Relativistic chemistry: Atom-scale behavior probes how Group 12 chemistry changes at very high nuclear charge. The question “is copernicium a liquid?” does not have a measured bulk answer. Some theoretical treatments discuss unusual volatility or weak metallic bonding, but ElementLookup keeps prediction separate from observation.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Where was copernicium discovered?
Short answer: At GSI in Darmstadt, Germany.
In 1996, GSI scientists in Darmstadt announced production of element 112. In 2009, IUPAC recognized the GSI team’s discovery claim.
Key point: Discovery location/history is different from natural occurrence or modern production geography.
What is known experimentally beyond decay?
Short answer: A small number of atom-surface chemistry/adsorption experiments constrain aspects of reactivity and volatility, still far short of bulk-property measurement.
Copernicium is element 112, a synthetic superheavy Group 12 element named for Nicolaus Copernicus. Nuclear decay is measured, some atom-surface chemistry constrains reactivity, but its macroscopic state, density and phase boundaries remain experimentally unknown. Atom-surface chemistry A few-atom experiments can probe adsorption/volatility behavior even when no bulk sample exists.
Key point: Use the direct answer together with the material, isotope and evidence context shown elsewhere on the page.
Scientific sources for Copernicium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Copernicium
- IUPAC - Copernicium naming recommendation
- GSI - Discovery of element 112
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