rutherfordium

[ ruhth-er-fawr-dee-uh m, -fohr-, ruhth- ]
/ ˌrʌð ərˈfɔr di əm, -ˈfoʊr-, ˌrʌθ- /

noun Chemistry, Physics.

a superheavy, synthetic, radioactive element with a very short half-life. Symbol: Rf; atomic number: 104.
Formerly unnilquadium, element 104.

Origin of rutherfordium

1969; named after English physicist Ernest Rutherford; see -ium

British Dictionary definitions for rutherfordium

rutherfordium
/ (ˌrʌðəˈfɔːdɪəm) /

noun

a transactinide element produced by bombarding californium-249 nuclei with carbon-12 nuclei. Symbol: Rf; atomic number.: 104; atomic wt: 261 Name in the former Soviet Union: kurchatovium

Word Origin for rutherfordium

C20: named after Ernest Rutherford

Scientific definitions for rutherfordium

rutherfordium
[ rŭð′ər-fôrdē-əm ]

Rf

A synthetic, radioactive element that is produced by bombarding plutonium with carbon or neon ions. Its most stable isotope is Rf 261 with a half-life of 62 seconds. Atomic number 104. See Periodic Table.