What are synthetic radioactive elements?

Answer 1

There are several possibilities for elements that are always radioactive and are artificially produced:

Technetium

Promethium

Any element with atomic number 92 (plutonium) or heavier. There are approx 25 of these in existence up to element 118 (element 117 has not been made yet). Additionally, it could be argued that plutonium is found naturally. But only the faintest traces can be found, and could be said to be produced artificially via neutron capture by uranium. It might be (and probably is) possible to create technitium or promethium in the same manner if precursor nuclei for those elements are found with naturally occurring uranium. Neutron capture is possible across a fairly wide range of elements.

Answer 2

Radioactive elements that are not found in nature, but are 'man made' either in a laboratory, a factory (plant), or by the explosion of nuclear weapons.

No istope of plutonium is found in nature. It is made in special reactors, then purified and separated for use in bombs. Strontium is a naturally occurring element, but some isotopes were not in nature until atomic bombs exploded. Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotpe that is a byproduct of atomic fission. All elements on the Periodic Table after uranium are synthetic radioactive elements.

Answer 3

Synthetic radioactive elements are elements that are not naturally found on Earth and are created through nuclear reactions in laboratories or nuclear reactors. They typically have unstable nuclei that decay over time, emitting radiation in the form of alpha, beta, or gamma particles. Examples include elements beyond uranium in the periodic table, such as berkelium or fermium.