Element

Element 97 is known as berkelium, a synthetic element named after Berkeley, California, where it was first produced in 1949. It is part of the actinide series and is radioactive. Berkelium does not occur naturally and must be created in a laboratory. It has limited practical applications, mainly in research settings focused on nuclear science and chemistry. Berkelium’s discovery contributed to the understanding of heavier elements and their properties, although its radioactivity and scarcity make it difficult to use outside of specialized scientific contexts.