Discovered By: Stanley Gerald Thompson, Kenneth Street Jr., Albert Ghiorso, Glenn Seaborg
Discovery year: 1950

The following table showing some properties of Californium(Cf):

Table Example
Atomic number 98
Group n/a
Period 7
Block f
Electrons 98
Protons 98
Neutrons 153
Atomic weight (251)
Oxidation states +3, +4
Ionic charge Cf^3+


Table Example
Electrons per shell K2 L8 M18 N32 O28 P8 Q2
Electron configuration 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p66 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6 5s^2 4d^10 5p^6 6s^2 4f^14 5d^10 6p^6 7s^2 5f^10
Melting point 900°C
Phase Solid
Density 15100 kg.m^-3
Molar volume 1.66*10^-5 m^3.mol^-1
Electronegativity 1.3
Valence 4
First ionization energy 608 kJ.mol^-1
Radioactive Yes


Table Example
Half life 2.84*10^10 s
Lifetime 4.1*10^10 s
Neutron cross section 2900 barn
Decay mode Alpha emission (α-decay)