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My Favorite

The United Nations has declared 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table in honor of the 150th anniversary of that chart of the chemical elements. To celebrate, our friends at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab launched a video campaign highlighting scientists and others talking about their favorite elements—shared on social media with the hashtags #MyFaveElement and #IYPT2019. We’re joining in with this interactive chart of Brookhaven Lab staff’s picks. Click on any blue element below to learn who liked it and why. Some choices relate directly to our research; some are personal preferences; and some are just for fun!

1
H
1.008
Hydrogen
2
He
4.0026
Helium
3
Li
6.94
Lithium
4
Be
9.0122
Beryllium
5
B
10.81
Boron
6
C
12.011
Carbon
7
N
14.007
Nitrogen
8
O
15.999
Oxygen
9
F
18.998
Fluorine
10
Ne
20.180
Neon
11
Na
22.990
Sodium
12
Mg
24.305
Magnesium
13
Al
26.982
Aluminium
14
Si
28.085
Silicon
15
P
30.974
Phosphorus
16
S
32.06
Sulfur
17
Cl
35.45
Chlorine
18
Ar
39.948
Argon
19
K
39.098
Potassium
20
Ca
40.078
Calcium
21
Sc
44.956
Scandium
22
Ti
47.867
Titanium
23
V
50.942
Vanadium
24
Cr
51.996
Chromium
25
Mn
54.938
Manganese
26
Fe
55.845
Iron
27
Co
58.933
Cobalt
28
Ni
58.693
Nickel
29
Cu
63.546
Copper
30
Zn
65.38
Zinc
31
Ga
69.723
Gallium
32
Ge
72.630
Germanium
33
As
74.922
Arsenic
34
Se
78.971
Selenium
35
Br
79.904
Bromine
36
Kr
83.798
Krypton
37
Rb
85.468
Rubidium
38
Sr
87.62
Strontium
39
Y
88.906
Yttrium
40
Zr
91.224
Zirconium
41
Nb
92.906
Niobium
42
Mo
95.95
Molybdenum
43
Tc
96.906
Technetium
44
Ru
101.07
Ruthenium
45
Rh
102.91
Rhodium
46
Pd
106.42
Palladium
47
Ag
107.87
Silver
48
Cd
112.41
Cadmium
49
In
114.82
Indium
50
Sn
118.71
Tin
51
Sb
121.76
Antimony
52
Te
127.60
Tellurium
53
I
126.90
Iodine
54
Xe
131.29
Xenon
55
Cs
132.91
Caesium
56
Ba
137.33
Barium
57-71
*
 
72
Hf
178.49
Hafnium
73
Ta
180.95
Tantalum
74
W
183.84
Tungsten
75
Re
186.21
Rhenium
76
Os
190.23
Osmium
77
Ir
192.22
Iridium
78
Pt
195.08
Platinum
79
Au
196.97
Gold
80
Hg
200.59
Mercury
81
Tl
204.38
Thallium
82
Pb
207.2
Lead
83
Bi
208.98
Bismuth
84
Po
208.98
Polonium
85
At
209.99
Astatine
86
Rn
222.02
Radon
87
Fr
223.02
Francium
88
Ra
226.03
Radium
89-103
**
 
104
Rf
267.12
Rutherfordium
105
Db
270.13
Dubnium
106
Sg
269.13
Seaborgium
107
Bh
270.13
Bohrium
108
Hs
269.13
Hassium
109
Mt
278.16
Meitnerium
110
Ds
281.17
Darmstadtium
111
Rg
281.17
Roentgenium
112
Cn
285.18
Copernicium
113
Nh
286.18
Nihonium
114
Fl
289.19
Flerovium
115
Mc
289.20
Moscovium
116
Lv
293.20
Livermorium
117
Ts
293.21
Tennessine
118
Og
294.21
Oganesson
                                     
*
57
La
138.91
Lanthanum
58
Ce
140.12
Cerium
59
Pr
140.91
Praseodymium
60
Nd
144.24
Neodymium
61
Pm
144.91
Promethium
62
Sm
150.36
Samarium
63
Eu
151.96
Europium
64
Gd
157.25
Gadolinium
65
Tb
158.93
Terbium
66
Dy
162.50
Dysprosium
67
Ho
164.93
Holmium
68
Er
167.26
Erbium
69
Tm
168.93
Thulium
70
Yb
173.05
Ytterbium
71
Lu
174.97
Lutetium
**
89
Ac
227.03
Actinium
90
Th
232.04
Thorium
91
Pa
231.04
Protactinium
92
U
238.03
Uranium
93
Np
237.05
Neptunium
94
Pu
244.06
Plutonium
95
Am
243.06
Americium
96
Cm
247.07
Curium
97
Bk
247.07
Berkelium
98
Cf
251.08
Californium
99
Es
252.08
Einsteinium
100
Fm
257.10
Fermium
101
Md
258.10
Mendelevium
102
No
259.10
Nobelium
103
Lr
262.11
Lawrencium

Click on any highlighted element to learn who considers it a favorite and why.