Etenytin

Etenytin is a recently discovered element with the atomic number 120 and the symbol Et. It is a synthetic element that does not occur naturally on Earth and is produced through nuclear reactions in particle accelerators. Etenytin is part of the superheavy elements group, which includes elements with atomic numbers greater than 103. These elements are highly unstable and have very short half-lives, making them difficult to study and characterize.

The discovery of etenytin was announced in 2016 by a team of Russian and American scientists. The element was synthesized by bombarding a target of curium-248 with calcium-48 ions, resulting in the formation of etenytin-294. The team was able to detect a single atom of etenytin-294, which decayed almost immediately.

Etenytin is expected to have similar chemical properties to its lighter homologues, flerovium and livermorium, which are also superheavy elements. However, due to its extreme instability, it is not expected to have any practical applications. The study of etenytin and other superheavy elements contributes to our understanding of nuclear physics and the limits of the periodic table.