How Do Nuclear Physicists Create New Elements?

💡 The Answer

• Scientists accelerate light nuclei to high speeds and smash them into heavy target nuclei.
• These collisions sometimes result in fusion, forming a superheavy element with a very short half-life.
• Particle accelerators like the Super Heavy Element Factory in Russia are used for such experiments.
• New elements are named after famous scientists or places, such as oganesson and livermorium.