Moscovium (Mc)
Element 115 · Post-transition metal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 15, Period 7
Moscovium is a synthetic element, produced one atom at a time in particle accelerator experiments. Its isotopes decay within moments, so none of its bulk properties have ever been measured directly — the values chemists cite for it are theoretical predictions. It is named for the Moscow region, home of the laboratory that first produced it.
On the periodic table, moscovium sits in group 15 — the pnictogens (nitrogen group) — in period 7. It is one of 12 elements classified as a post-transition metal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
The post-transition metals sit between the transition metals and the metalloids. They are genuine metals — shiny and conductive — but softer, weaker, and lower-melting than the d-block metals, and their chemistry has more covalent character. Everyday examples from this family include aluminium foil, tin cans, and lead batteries.
Properties of moscovium
| Atomic number (Z) | 115 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Mc |
| Atomic mass | (290) (mass number of the most stable isotope; this element has no standard atomic weight) |
| Category | Post-transition metal |
| Group | 15 |
| Period | 7 |
| Block | p-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p3 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | — |
| Melting point | — |
| Boiling point | — |
| Density | — |
Position in the periodic table
Moscovium shares group 15 — the pnictogens (nitrogen group) with Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Arsenic (As), Antimony (Sb), Bismuth (Bi). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Physical properties
No melting point, boiling point, or density has been measured for moscovium: too few atoms have ever existed at once. Published figures for these properties are theoretical estimates, so this site shows them as dashes rather than presenting predictions as data.
Data notes
The atomic mass is shown in parentheses because this element has no standard atomic weight; the number given is the mass number of its most stable known isotope.
The state and electron configuration listed for this element are predicted values — it has never been produced in quantities large enough to observe directly.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, metals, nonmetals & metalloids.