Element identity / decay
Atomic number and discovery/decay-chain evidence are experimental.
Reference configuration
The reference electronic configuration is theory/evaluation-led for a superheavy atom.
Chemical behavior
Group 13 trends and possible +1/+3 chemistry remain largely theoretical/atom-scale.
Bulk phase / density / crystal
No macroscopic melting point, boiling point, density or crystal structure is presented.
Discovery geography
RIKEN/Wako 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.
Nihonium (Nh)
Nihonium is element 113, the first element discovered in Asia and named for Japan. Its atomic number and decay chains are measured; most bulk properties and much chemistry remain predicted or unknown because only a few atoms have been created.
Nihonium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Nihonium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does nihonium have?
Nihonium’s atomic number is 113, so every nihonium atom has 113 protons, and a neutral atom also has 113 electrons. Nihonium has no stable isotopes, so the neutron count depends on the isotope: nihonium-286, featured on this page, has 173 neutrons.
What is the symbol for nihonium?
The chemical symbol for nihonium is Nh.
Is nihonium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Nihonium has only been made a few atoms at a time, so its state at room temperature is unknown.
What family (group) is nihonium in?
Nihonium is a post-transition metal (predicted), in group 13, period 7 of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of nihonium?
The ground-state electron configuration of nihonium is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹. 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.
113 protons define nihonium.
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.
Nihonium in its period and family
Nihonium is placed in Group 13, Period 7 below thallium. Relativistic effects are expected to make its chemistry depart from simple lighter-group trends.
Nihonium Visual Lab
Inspect the ²⁸⁶Nh teaching nucleus and 7s/7p probability models, then use the Evidence Lens to distinguish measured decay evidence from predicted Group 13 chemistry and unknown bulk state, density, melting point and crystal 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.
Nihonium in one minute
Atomic number 113 means 113 protons.
Nihonium is synthetic and has only been produced atom-at-a-time.
Its discovery was credited to the RIKEN team in Japan and the name was approved in 2016.
Macroscopic density, melting point, boiling point and crystal structure are not experimentally established.
Predicted +1/+3 chemistry must be labeled as theory, not measured bulk behavior.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 3 electrons
The 7s/7p probability clouds are atomic teaching models based on the reference configuration. They do not claim a measured bulk electron distribution or chemical bond.
Only atom-at-a-time quantities have been produced. No bulk crystal lattice is rendered because a macroscopic structure has not been measured.. 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/7p probability clouds are atomic teaching models based on the reference configuration. They do not claim a measured bulk electron distribution or chemical bond.
Where do I meet nihonium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Discovery at RIKEN
RIKEN researchers produced element 113 and established a decay-chain case that IUPAC credited in 2015.
Evidence ladder: measured nucleus → predicted chemistry → unknown bulk
For element 113, scientific quality means refusing to turn a periodic-table position into invented macroscopic facts.
Discovery + decay chains
Element 113 identity is supported by atom-by-atom nuclear decay observations.
Aluminium, thallium and nihonium
A periodic group can guide hypotheses without guaranteeing that a superheavy element copies lighter members.
| Evidence | bulk measured |
|---|---|
| Valence | 3s²3p¹ |
| Evidence | bulk measured |
|---|---|
| Valence | 6s²6p¹ |
| Evidence | atom-scale + predicted |
|---|---|
| Ref. valence | 7s²7p¹ |
Nihonium 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 | 113 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | [286] | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| ²⁸⁶Nh | Radioactive superheavy isotope | Reference teaching nucleus with 113 protons and 173 neutrons; isotope data derive from decay experiments. | Evaluated |
| ²⁸⁴Nh | Radioactive isotope | Observed in superheavy decay chains; short-lived. | Evaluated |
| Nihonium isotope context | No stable isotopes | All known nihonium isotopes are radioactive and produced in research. | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Predicted |
| Group / period / block | Group 13 · Period 7 · p-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Unknown experimentally; +1/+3 discussed theoretically | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ²⁸⁶Nh | Radioactive superheavy isotope | Reference teaching nucleus with 113 protons and 173 neutrons; isotope data derive from decay experiments. | Evaluated |
| ²⁸⁴Nh | Radioactive isotope | Observed in superheavy decay chains; short-lived. | Evaluated |
| Nihonium isotope context | No stable isotopes | All known nihonium isotopes are radioactive and produced in research. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ²⁸⁶Nh · 113 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 atom-at-a-time quantities have been produced. No bulk crystal lattice is rendered because a macroscopic structure has not been measured. | Predicted |
| Melting / transition reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Boiling / gas reference | Unknown | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Common oxidation states | Unknown experimentally; +1/+3 discussed theoretically | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Unknown |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page evidence note | Element identity and decay evidence are measured; the reference configuration is evaluated/theoretical; bulk density, melting point, boiling point, appearance and crystal structure are unknown. Predictions are never promoted to measurements. | Evidence summary for this guide | Reviewed |
| Structure evidence | Only atom-at-a-time quantities have been produced. No bulk crystal lattice is rendered because a macroscopic structure has not been measured. | 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 Nihonium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
No measured macroscopic phase boundaries exist for nihonium. The temperature explorer therefore stays in an explicitly unknown/prediction-aware state rather than inventing solid, liquid or gas transition temperatures.
Where on Earth is Nihonium found or produced?
Who discovered Nihonium, and when?
RIKEN reported the first candidate atom of element 113 from experiments in Wako, Japan.
Further decay events strengthened the identification.
IUPAC credited the RIKEN collaboration with discovery of element 113.
IUPAC approved the name nihonium (Nh), honoring Japan.
How nihonium knowledge is built: atom-at-a-time evidence
Superheavy-element experiments create extremely small numbers of atoms in accelerator-based research.
Researchers identify nuclei through measured decay chains and cross-checks; this page does not give operational synthesis settings.
Atomic/chemical experiments are constrained by very short lifetimes and tiny atom counts.
Theory then predicts properties that cannot yet be measured, and those predictions remain visibly separate from established evidence.
What is nihonium used for?
Fundamental nuclear science
Nihonium extends tests of nuclear stability and superheavy decay.
Atomic theory
Its very high nuclear charge challenges relativistic quantum-chemistry models.
Periodic trends
Predicted chemistry tests how Group 13 trends change in the superheavy region.
No practical bulk use
Only a few atoms have been made; no macroscopic engineering or consumer use exists.
Nihonium isotopes and natural abundance
²⁸⁶Nh
Radioactive superheavy isotopeReference teaching nucleus with 113 protons and 173 neutrons; isotope data derive from decay experiments.
²⁸⁴Nh
Radioactive isotopeObserved in superheavy decay chains; short-lived.
Nihonium isotope context
No stable isotopesAll known nihonium isotopes are radioactive and produced in research.
Five-question Nihonium check
What is nihonium’s atomic number?
Where was nihonium discovered?
What is nihonium’s measured melting point?
What is its practical use?
Which statement follows the Evidence Lens?
Nihonium 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 nihonium’s atomic number?
Short answer: 113.
Atomic number is defined by proton count, so 113 protons are what make an atom nihonium. A neutral nihonium atom also has 113 electrons, while isotopes can have different neutron counts without changing the element.
Key point: Atomic number = proton count.
Is nihonium a metal?
Short answer: It is placed in Group 13 and is often predicted to be metallic, but macroscopic metallic properties have not been measured.
This guide classifies Nihonium as a superheavy synthetic element. Its periodic position is Period 7, p-block, Group 13. Nihonium is placed in Group 13, Period 7 below thallium. Relativistic effects are expected to make its chemistry depart from simple lighter-group trends.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
What does nihonium look like?
Short answer: No experimentally established macroscopic appearance exists because only atom-scale quantities have been produced.
The ordinary elemental-material description used here is: Macroscopic bulk state not experimentally established. A search result asking “what does nihonium look like?” should not trigger an invented metal surface. ElementLookup separates measured identity/decay, theoretical chemistry and genuinely unknown macroscopic properties.
Key point: Elemental appearance can differ from the colors of its ions, compounds, oxide films or host materials.
What is nihonium used for?
Short answer: Fundamental research only. There is no practical bulk use.
Fundamental nuclear science: Nihonium extends tests of nuclear stability and superheavy decay. Atomic theory: Its very high nuclear charge challenges relativistic quantum-chemistry models. A search result asking “what does nihonium look like?” should not trigger an invented metal surface. ElementLookup separates measured identity/decay, theoretical chemistry and genuinely unknown macroscopic properties.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Where was nihonium discovered?
Short answer: At RIKEN in Wako, Japan; IUPAC credited the team in 2015.
In 2004, RIKEN reported the first candidate atom of element 113 from experiments in Wako, Japan. In 2005 and 2012, further decay events strengthened the identification.
Key point: Discovery location/history is different from natural occurrence or modern production geography.
How many valence electrons does the reference configuration suggest?
Short answer: The reference configuration ends 7s²7p¹, giving three outer-shell electrons in the simplest count, but actual chemistry is strongly affected by relativistic effects.
The neutral-atom ground-state reference used on this page is [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹. This is an isolated-atom reference: bonding and ion formation can change which outer electrons are present or chemically active. The listed common oxidation-state context is Unknown experimentally; +1/+3 discussed theoretically, which helps connect the atomic configuration to ordinary chemistry without treating electron counting as a single universal rule.
Key point: Electron configuration is a ground-state atomic reference, not a literal picture of every compound.
Scientific sources for Nihonium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Nihonium
- IUPAC - Naming of element 113
- RIKEN - Element 113 discovery history
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