Berkelium (Bk)

Berkelium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with symbol Bk and atomic number 97. It is a member of the actinide and transuranium element series. It is named after the city of Berkeley, California, the location of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Atomic Number

97

Atomic Mass

247 u

Category

actinide

Phase

solid

Density

14.78 g/cm³

Electron Shells

2, 8, 18, 32, 27, 8, 2

Atomic Structure

Protons: 97 • Electrons: 97 • Neutrons: Varies by isotope

Electron Configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p⁶ 7s² 5f⁹

Discovery

1949 • Stanley G. Thompson, Albert Ghiorso, Glenn T. Seaborg