![Bohrium element card: symbol Bh, atomic number 107, atomic mass [270], electron configuration [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁵ 7s², Transition metal, group 7, period 7.](https://stage.chemistry-dictionary.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/bohrium-chemical-element.webp)
This element is located in group 7 of the periodic table, directly below rhenium. Bohrium has a very short half-life, which means its atoms decay within seconds. A half-life is the time required for half of a radioactive sample to decompose.
Because it decays so fast, scientists cannot gather enough bohrium to see or weigh. Instead, they must study the properties of this element one single atom at a time. Chemists use automated gas systems to observe how bohrium reacts with other substances.
These tests show that bohrium reacts with chlorine and oxygen to form volatile oxychlorides. This reaction proves that bohrium behaves like its lighter group 7 relative, rhenium. To make bohrium, scientists bombard a bismuth target with high-energy chromium ions.
The colliding nuclei fuse to create the new element, which quickly undergoes alpha decay. Alpha decay is a process where an unstable nucleus shoots out helium nuclei. A common student misconception is that superheavy elements behave exactly like their lighter counterparts.
In reality, the massive nucleus causes relativistic effects that slightly shift electron energy levels. These shifts can alter the chemical bonds, though bohrium still acts like a transition metal. Researchers study these changes to test the limits of our current bonding theories. This work helps scientists understand how the heaviest elements in the universe interact.