Since the IB data booklet for first use in the May 2016 examination session came into existence there have been several updates as mistakes were corrected. The latest version, which can be downloaded from the  programme resource centre on My IB, is the fourth edition first published in June 2014 and updated in January 2017. All the mistakes that have so far been corrected were due to human error by either the compliers or the publishers. It now needs a further update as the chemistry itself has changed.

The data booklet currently has the following for the elements with atomic numbers 113 to 118 in the periodic tables given in Section 6:

In fact two of these six elements already had proper names when the data booklet was first published as IUPAC had officially recognised flerovium, Fl, and livermorium, Lv, as the names for elements 114 and 116 respectively back in May 2012. At the end of last month after several months of consultation IUPAC has now officially recognised the names for the remaining four elements. These are nihonium, Nh (113), moscovium, Mc, (115), tenessine, Ts (117) and organesson, Og (118). This means that the periodic table is now complete up to the end of the seventh period (element 118).

This section of the new periodic table should now look like:

The IB can also update Section 5 and include these six elements in 'Names of the elements', which currently stops at copernicium (112).

The naming of these elements complies with the accepted guidelines for naming new elements which traditionally are named after:

• a mythological concept or character (including an astronomical object),
• a mineral or similar substance,
• a place, or geographical region,
• a property of the element, or
• a scientist.

Equally traditionally they end in –ium for the elements in Groups 1-16, -ine for Group 17 and –on for the noble gases (Group 18).

Your keen students who know that astatine is the last element in the halogens will need to update their knowledge as now it is tenessine.