Name: californium
Symbol: Cf
Atomic number: 98
Atomic weight: [ 251 ]
Group in periodic table:
Group name: Actinoid
Period in periodic table: 7 (actinoid)
Block in periodic table: f-block
CAS registry ID: 7440-71-3
Californium is a radioactive rare earth metal named after the state of California and the University of California (USA). Californium-252 is a strong neutron emitter and one microgram emits 170 million neutrons per minute, making it a biological hazard. It has a few specialised uses but only a few of its compounds are known.