this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
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xkcd #3200: Chemical Formula

Title text:

Some of the atoms in the molecule are very weakly bound.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3200/

explainxkcd for #3200

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[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 14 points 4 months ago (5 children)

There are exotic atoms in that chemical formula that aren't in the periodic table. Not even if you count the equivalent table of potential antimatter atoms.

Muonium is sure to exist in non-zero quantities at any one time, for example.

[–] Pyro@programming.dev 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago

This made me laugh too much

[–] WR5@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

"Approximate chemical formula"

[–] kopasz7@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Still can't find blackholium, what element number is it?

[–] Trail@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

-1 would be antihydrogen. Blackholium is whatever number is large enough to cause gravitational collapse, so probably one or two more than the largest neutron star.

[–] Trail@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Yeah I was more like referring to an overflow or something.

[–] gegil@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 months ago

What about elements beyond 119?

[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

And neutron stars.