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Understanding the element
Rutherfordium (Rf) is chemical element 104. It belongs to the transition metals, and its reference state at room temperature is not firmly established. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
Where do we encounter it?
In practice, it turns up most often in scientific research.
scientific research
Standard atomic weightNo standard atomic weight
What its position in the table tells us
Rutherfordium sits in period 7, group 4 and the D block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Rutherfordium is synthetic, very short-lived and studied atom by atom in nuclear-physics laboratories
Rutherfordium is synthetic, very short-lived and studied atom by atom in nuclear-physics laboratories