What is Rutherfordium?
Rutherfordium is a chemical element which can only be produced synthetically. Little is known about this element, because it has only been produced in small volumes and it is difficult to study. As a result of its rarity, no commercial uses have been developed for rutherfordium, and most people are unlikely to ever encounter this element. This is probably just as well for average individuals, as rutherfordium is radioactive. This element can be produced synthetically by irradiating plutonium. Scientists have also succeeded in creating various isotopes of rutherfordium by bombarding and irradiating various other elements. Rutherfordium has a very short half life, as do its isotopes, making study of the element difficult; its chemical properties are presumed to be similar to those of hafnium, a related element. On the periodic table of elements, rutherfordium is identified with the symbol Rf, and it has an atomic number of 104, placing it beyond the actinide elements. Rutherfordium and o
