Discover the heaviest element detected in a molecule

Nobelium, element 102, sits on the outer reaches of the periodic table in the actinide sequence and is too unstable to exist naturally on Earth. Very little has been known about its chemical properties: however, scientists have now found that nobelium ions react with nitrogen and water to produce nobelium complexes, meaning nobelium is now the heaviest known element with definitively identified compounds. Use the summary slide with questions and this article for context when teaching 14–16 lessons on elements and the periodic table.