Francium - The element

Francium - The element

Francium is the 87th element on the periodic table. It has a symbol of Fr and is a radioactive element. It is radioactive because it only has one valence electron, so it combines with almost anything. It is in group 1 of the periodic table and is an alkali metal. The atomic number of francium is 87. Francium is produced when the radioactive element actinium decays. It is naturally radioactive. Isotopes ranging in atomic weights from 204 to 224 are known. Francium has a cubic crystal structure.
Francium is the heaviest of the alkali metals. It has seven energy levels. The melting point of Francium is 27°C (300.15°K, 80.6°F). Its boiling point is 677°C (950.15°K, 1250.6°F). Francium has 136 neutrons.
Marguerite Perey, of the Curie Institute in Paris, France, discovered the element in 1939. Francium was named after France, which is where Perey came from. Its existence was predicted by Mendeleev during the 1870s.   Since its properties should track those of caesium rather closely, he called it eka-caesium. Francium has no known uses, partially because it is so radioactive and explosive.