▁al chem ical ▁symbols ▁for ▁the ▁metal . ▁Mercur y ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁metal ▁for ▁which ▁the ▁al chem ical ▁planet ary ▁name ▁became ▁the ▁common ▁name . ▁ ▁Cop ern ici um ▁The ▁heav iest ▁known ▁group ▁ 1 2 ▁element , ▁cop ern ici um , ▁was ▁first ▁created ▁on ▁February ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁at ▁the ▁Gesellschaft ▁für ▁Sch wer ionen forsch ung ▁( G SI ) ▁in ▁D arm stadt , ▁Germany , ▁by ▁Sig urd ▁Hof mann , ▁Victor ▁Nin ov ▁et ▁al . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁officially ▁named ▁by ▁the ▁International ▁Union ▁of ▁P ure ▁and ▁App lied ▁Chem istry ▁( I UP AC ) ▁after ▁Nicol aus ▁Cop ern icus ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁ 5 3 7 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁Cop ern icus ' ▁birth . ▁ ▁Occ urrence ▁Like ▁in ▁most ▁other ▁d - block ▁groups , ▁the ▁abund ance ▁in ▁Earth ' s ▁cr ust ▁of ▁group ▁ 1 2 ▁elements ▁decre ases ▁with ▁higher ▁atomic ▁number . ▁Z inc ▁is ▁with ▁ 6 5 ▁parts ▁per ▁million ▁( pp m ) ▁the ▁most ▁abund ant ▁in ▁the ▁group ▁while ▁cad m ium ▁with ▁ 0 . 1 ▁p pm ▁and ▁mer cur y ▁with ▁ 0 . 0 8 ▁p pm ▁are ▁orders ▁of ▁magnitude ▁less ▁abund ant . ▁Cop ern ici um , ▁as ▁a ▁synth etic ▁element ▁with ▁a ▁half - life ▁of ▁a ▁few