Element / isotope identity
Atomic number, isotope identity and discovery evidence are experimentally/evaluatively grounded.
Electron configuration
Very-heavy-element configurations are theory/evaluation-led; ordinary elements use evaluated ground-state references.
Bulk material structure
No macroscopic crystal lattice is asserted.
Phase / density data
Unknown values stay unknown; reported values are tied to the elemental material reference.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Meitnerium (Mt)
Meitnerium is element 109. This guide connects its periodic-table identity to evidence-aware structure, isotopes, uses, discovery and the search questions learners actually ask.
Meitnerium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Meitnerium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does meitnerium have?
Meitnerium’s atomic number is 109, so every meitnerium atom has 109 protons, and a neutral atom also has 109 electrons. Meitnerium has no stable isotopes, so the neutron count depends on the isotope: meitnerium-278, featured on this page, has 169 neutrons.
What is the symbol for meitnerium?
The chemical symbol for meitnerium is Mt.
Is meitnerium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Meitnerium has only been made a few atoms at a time, so its state at room temperature is unknown.
What family (group) is meitnerium in?
Meitnerium is a transition metal (predicted), in group 9, period 7 of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of meitnerium?
The ground-state electron configuration of meitnerium is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁷ 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.
109 protons define meitnerium.
Ground-state/reference configuration frames atomic behavior; heavy-element predictions remain evidence-labelled.
Periodic position organizes trends without replacing element-specific evidence.
The teaching nucleus is one isotope, not the relative atomic mass.
Measured structures are visualized; unknown bulk structures stay unknown.
Meitnerium in its period and family
Meitnerium is element 109 in Period 7. Its d-block/series position provides useful periodic context, but element-specific experimental evidence takes priority over simple trend extrapolation.
Meitnerium Visual Lab
Explore Mt across the teaching nucleus, isolated-atom orbitals, evidence-aware material structure and temperature/evidence views, then connect those models to uses, isotopes, search-led questions and source-backed context.
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.
Meitnerium in one minute
Atomic number 109 means every meitnerium nucleus has 109 protons.
The ground-state/reference electron configuration is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁷ 7s².
The representative teaching isotope is ²⁷⁸Mt.
Meitnerium is known primarily through production and decay events. Periodic position motivates chemical predictions, but its macroscopic material properties remain unknown.
Material structure status: Bulk crystal structure unknown.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 15 · 2 electrons
Displayed orbitals are isolated-atom, nonrelativistic teaching probability models. They are not bulk-band structures, bonding orbitals or direct measured electron-density maps; relativistic effects become especially important for very heavy elements.
No defensible macroscopic crystal lattice is displayed for Meitnerium. Nuclear/atomic evidence and theory are kept separate from unmeasured bulk material properties.. 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
Displayed orbitals are isolated-atom, nonrelativistic teaching probability models. They are not bulk-band structures, bonding orbitals or direct measured electron-density maps; relativistic effects become especially important for very heavy elements.
Where do I meet meitnerium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Scientific research only
This context uses Meitnerium or a meitnerium-containing material; the element and its compounds/isotopes are kept distinct.
Evidence ladder: nucleus → atom-scale chemistry → unknown bulk material
For scarce synthetic heavy elements, different claims have very different evidence strength.
Nuclear identity
Production/decay evidence establishes the element and specific isotopes.
Meitnerium in periodic context
Compare nearby or family-related elements without treating a periodic trend as a substitute for element-specific evidence.
| Atomic number | 108 |
|---|---|
| Context | neighbor / series |
| Atomic number | 109 |
|---|---|
| Context | neighbor / series |
| Atomic number | 110 |
|---|---|
| Context | neighbor / series |
Meitnerium 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 | 109 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | [278] | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| ²⁷⁸Mt | Reference teaching isotope | Mass number belongs to a specific isotope and is not the same thing as relative atomic mass. | Evaluated |
| Isotope evidence | Element-specific nuclear context | Half-life and decay properties are isotope-specific; the page does not generalize one isotope to all atoms. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ²⁷⁸Mt · 109 protons + 169 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁷ 7s² | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Group / period / block | Group 9 · Period 7 · d-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Predicted transition-metal chemistry; bulk oxidation-state chemistry not established | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ²⁷⁸Mt | Reference teaching isotope | Mass number belongs to a specific isotope and is not the same thing as relative atomic mass. | Evaluated |
| Isotope evidence | Element-specific nuclear context | Half-life and decay properties are isotope-specific; the page does not generalize one isotope to all atoms. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ²⁷⁸Mt · 109 protons + 169 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 | Bulk crystal structure unknown | No defensible macroscopic crystal lattice is displayed for Meitnerium. Nuclear/atomic evidence and theory are kept separate from unmeasured bulk material properties. | Unknown |
| Melting / transition reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Boiling / gas reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Predicted transition-metal chemistry; bulk oxidation-state chemistry not established | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page evidence note | Atomic identity and source-reviewed reference values are separated from predictions. Search demand shapes headings and FAQs but never overrides scientific evidence; unknown bulk structure/density/phase values remain visibly unknown. | Evidence summary for this guide | Reviewed |
| Structure evidence | No defensible macroscopic crystal lattice is displayed for Meitnerium. Nuclear/atomic evidence and theory are kept separate from unmeasured bulk material properties. | 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 Meitnerium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
No measured ordinary melting or boiling point is asserted. The phase track remains visible as an evidence-limited teaching view rather than inventing macroscopic transitions.
Where on Earth is Meitnerium found or produced?
Who discovered Meitnerium, and when?
Peter Armbruster, Gottfried Münzenberg and colleagues at GSI produced element 109; it was named for physicist Lise Meitner.
The element name and discovery story are part of the historical record; search-led questions are answered without turning history into scientific evidence for bulk properties.
Current use is described at the level supported by the element’s availability and evidence, with research-only elements kept research-only.
Research production context: high-level, non-operational
The element is produced or isolated only in specialized research/nuclear settings; this page intentionally omits operational synthesis, target, beam, separation, handling and access instructions.
Experimental identity is established from nuclear decay, spectroscopy and/or atom-scale chemistry appropriate to the element.
Any chemical or material inference is labelled by evidence strength; unmeasured bulk properties are not converted into visual facts.
Research use is described conceptually, with isotope-specific claims kept distinct from the element as a whole.
What is meitnerium used for?
Scientific research only
Research-only context; no operational production or handling guidance.
Nuclear-decay and superheavy-element studies
Research-only context; no operational production or handling guidance.
Meitnerium isotopes and natural abundance
²⁷⁸Mt
Reference teaching isotopeMass number belongs to a specific isotope and is not the same thing as relative atomic mass.
Isotope evidence
Element-specific nuclear contextHalf-life and decay properties are isotope-specific; the page does not generalize one isotope to all atoms.
Five-question Meitnerium check
What is Meitnerium’s atomic number?
Which statement best describes the material evidence for Meitnerium?
What is the safest rule for Meitnerium uses?
Meitnerium 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 the atomic number of meitnerium?
Short answer: The atomic number is 109, meaning every meitnerium nucleus has 109 protons.
Atomic number is defined by proton count, so 109 protons are what make an atom meitnerium. A neutral meitnerium atom also has 109 electrons, while isotopes can have different neutron counts without changing the element.
Key point: Atomic number = proton count.
What is the symbol for meitnerium?
Short answer: The chemical symbol is Mt.
The symbol Mt is the standardized chemical abbreviation for element 109. In a chemical formula, Mt identifies meitnerium atoms; a compound containing Mt is not automatically the same material as elemental meitnerium.
Key point: Mt always identifies element 109.
What is meitnerium?
Short answer: Meitnerium is element 109, symbol Mt, a synthetic superheavy Group 9 element.
Atomic number 109 means every meitnerium nucleus contains 109 protons. In the periodic table, Meitnerium is classified here as a transition metal · superheavy in Period 7 and Group 9. Meitnerium is element 109 in Period 7. Its d-block/series position provides useful periodic context, but element-specific experimental evidence takes priority over simple trend extrapolation.
Key point: Mt is element 109; its periodic position and electron structure explain the rest of the page.
What is meitnerium used for?
Short answer: It is used only for scientific research.
Scientific research only: Research-only context; no operational production or handling guidance. Nuclear-decay and superheavy-element studies: Research-only context; no operational production or handling guidance. Meitnerium is known primarily through production and decay events. Periodic position motivates chemical predictions, but its macroscopic material properties remain unknown.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Is meitnerium a metal?
Short answer: It is classified as a d-block transition element and expected to be metallic, but no macroscopic sample exists to measure ordinary bulk-metal properties.
This guide classifies Meitnerium as a transition metal · superheavy. Its periodic position is Period 7, d-block, Group 9. Meitnerium is element 109 in Period 7. Its d-block/series position provides useful periodic context, but element-specific experimental evidence takes priority over simple trend extrapolation.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
Who was meitnerium named after?
Short answer: It was named for physicist Lise Meitner.
In 1982, Peter Armbruster, Gottfried Münzenberg and colleagues at GSI produced element 109; it was named for physicist Lise Meitner. The element name and discovery story are part of the historical record; search-led questions are answered without turning history into scientific evidence for bulk properties.
Key point: Element names record scientific history; the name itself does not determine the element’s chemistry.
What does meitnerium look like?
Short answer: No ordinary macroscopic sample has been measured well enough to justify a definitive bulk appearance or crystal-lattice claim on this page.
The ordinary elemental-material description used here is: Superheavy radioactive element known from only a few atoms. No defensible macroscopic crystal lattice is displayed for Meitnerium. Nuclear/atomic evidence and theory are kept separate from unmeasured bulk material properties.
Key point: Elemental appearance can differ from the colors of its ions, compounds, oxide films or host materials.
Scientific sources for Meitnerium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Meitnerium
- NIST - Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions
- IUPAC - Periodic Table of Elements
Found an error, something unclear, or a missing topic?
Tell us what you noticed. Feedback goes to a private review queue and is never published automatically.