What are 3 interesting facts about uranium?

11 Uranium Facts

  • Pure uranium is a silvery-white metal.
  • The atomic number of uranium is 92, meaning uranium atoms have 92 protons and usually 92 electrons.
  • Because uranium is radioactive and always decaying, radium is always found with uranium ores.
  • Uranium is slightly paramagnetic.

What is so special about plutonium?

Plutonium-239 contains the highest quantities of fissile material, and is notably one of the primary fuels used in nuclear weapons. Plutonium-238 has more benign applications and has been used to power batteries for some heart pacemakers, as well as provide a long-lived heat source to power NASA space missions.

What are 3 physical properties of plutonium?

Chemical properties of plutonium – Health effects of plutonium – Environmental effects of plutonium

Atomic number 94
Density 19.84 g.cm-3 at 20°C
Melting point 641 °C
Boiling point 3232 °C
Vanderwaals radius unknown

Who discovered plutonium?

Joseph W. Kennedy
Glenn T. SeaborgEdwin McMillanArthur Wahl
Plutonium/Discoverers

How long can plutonium last?

Plutonium’s most stable isotope, plutonium-244, can last a long time. It has a half-life of about 82 million years and decays into uranium-240 through alpha decay, according to the Jefferson Lab.

How old is plutonium?

History. Plutonium was first made in December 1940 at Berkeley, California, by Glenn Seaborg, Arthur Wahl, Joseph Kennedy, and Edwin McMillan. They produced it by bombarding uranium-238 with deuterium nuclei (alpha particles).

How hot is plutonium?

Atomic weight: 244. Melting point: 1,184 F (640 C) Boiling point: 5,842 F (3,228 C)

How strong is plutonium?

A radioactive, silvery metal. Plutonium was used in several of the first atomic bombs, and is still used in nuclear weapons. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equivalent to over 10,000 tonnes of chemical explosive.

How did plutonium get its name?

Origin of the name Plutonium, is named after the then planet Pluto, following from the two previous elements uranium and neptunium.