Which element, first synthesized in 2010, has atomic number 117?

Tennessine is the element first synthesized in 2010 with atomic number 117. Its atomic number indicates that each atom has 117 protons. Tennessine is represented by the symbol Ts and is classified as a synthetic halogen in group 17 of the periodic table.

Scientists created tennessine by fusing berkelium-249 nuclei with calcium-48 ions at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. The initial experiment produced only a few atoms, and the element’s discovery was later confirmed through repeated experiments and the study of its radioactive decay products.

The name tennessine recognizes the region of Tennessee, where Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other important research institutions contributed to the work. It was formally approved by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in 2016. Tennessine has no stable isotopes, and its known isotopes decay extremely quickly, so it has no practical everyday uses.