Naming New Elements

      Naming new elements can be a very tricky thing.  The new elements that are being created are very short-lived and will disappear in seconds.  Before being given a proper name, they are called by a temporary title like "Element 114" where the number stands for the number of protons in the nucleus.  For the most part, new elements are given names that end in "ium".  For example, element 112 was named Copernicium in honor of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.  Elements have generally been named after famous scientists in the recent decades, but that isn't a necessary item in naming the element.  In order for a new element to be considered a new element and accepted on the periodic table, it first has to be accepted and approved by the International Committee of Chemists and Physicists.  Once this is done, the element goes through the process of being given a proper name.