Man-Made Elements: What Are They?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the topic of man-made elements, specifically focusing on which elements have been replicated or created by humans. Participants explore the distinction between synthetic and natural elements, as well as the processes involved in their creation, including fusion in tokamaks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant requests a list of man-made elements.
  • Another participant suggests that Wikipedia contains such a list, referencing synthetic elements.
  • A participant questions whether fusion in a tokamak produces helium from hydrogen collisions.
  • It is argued that helium, while it can be created artificially, is not considered a man-made element since it exists naturally.
  • A participant proposes that a more accurate title for the discussion would be about how many natural elements have been made by man, suggesting that all elements have unstable isotopes that could only have been created in a lab.
  • Another participant echoes this idea, asking what natural elements have been created by combining other elements, emphasizing that all of them can be considered created.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains multiple competing views regarding the classification of elements as man-made or natural, and whether fusion processes contribute to the creation of elements. There is no consensus on the definitions or classifications being discussed.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the definitions of man-made versus natural elements and the processes involved in their creation, particularly in the context of fusion and isotopes.

jmanjohn
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Anyone have a list of man made (replicated) elements?
 
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I looked at those but what about fusion in the tokamak? Is it creating helium when hydrogen collisions occur?
 
Helium, even though it can be "made by man" would not be considered a "man made element" since it exists in nature.
 
Maybe a better title to my post would be "How many natural elements have been made by man..." and is there a list?
 
jmanjohn said:
Maybe a better title to my post would be "How many natural elements have been made by man..." and is there a list?

I think the answer to that is all of them. If you look at an isotope chart, all elements have unstable isotopes, that could only have been made in a lab.
researchers have basically shot everything at everything. In particular radiation with neutrons and subsequent beta decay will get you nearly everything
 
Meaning, natural elements have been created? What natural elements have been created by combining other elements(not by a star or exploding star)?
 
jmanjohn said:
Meaning, natural elements have been created? What natural elements have been created by combining other elements(not by a star or exploding star)?

Like willem2 said, all of them.
 

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