Which statement is correct with reference to artificially produced elements?

The correct answer is They are short-lived.

Key Points

• Artificially produced elements are generally radioactive and have unstable nuclei, leading to their short-lived existence.
• These elements decay quickly into more stable elements by emitting radiation, which contributes to their short half-lives.
• They are primarily synthesized in laboratories or nuclear reactors through nuclear reactions such as bombardment of lighter elements with neutrons or high-energy particles.
• Many artificially produced elements, such as Technetium (Tc), Promethium (Pm), and all transuranium elements (elements beyond Uranium in the periodic table), exhibit this characteristic.
• Their short lifespans make them unsuitable for naturally occurring abundance, and they are typically absent in the Earth's crust.

Additional Information

• Artificial Elements:
  • These are elements not found naturally but produced artificially in laboratories.
  • Examples include Plutonium (Pu), Americium (Am), and Curium (Cm), among others.
• Radioactivity:
  • Radioactive elements emit radiation due to the instability of their atomic nuclei.
  • This process includes alpha, beta, and gamma radiation emissions.
• Transuranium Elements:
  • These are elements with atomic numbers greater than 92 (the atomic number of Uranium).
  • All transuranium elements are synthetic and exhibit radioactive properties.
• Applications of Artificial Elements:
  • Used in medical imaging and cancer treatment (e.g., Technetium-99m).
  • Act as fuel in nuclear reactors (e.g., Plutonium-239).
  • Have industrial applications, such as in smoke detectors (e.g., Americium-241).
• Half-life:
  • The half-life of a radioactive element is the time it takes for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay.
  • Artificially produced elements often have extremely short half-lives compared to naturally occurring ones.