The Chemical Elements

The first 92 elements on the table exist naturally and stably (U-238 can become Plutonium (94) via neutron capture from other U-238 atoms, briefly and unstably). The rest – which now extend to element 118 – were created by scientists in atomic nuclei collision with the aid of particle accelerators. Aptly named, these machines accelerate atoms to nearly 1/10 the speed of light and smash them into other so-called “target” atoms.