U
Uranium
Element 92 · 238.0289 u
Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear power plants.
Physical Properties
| Atomic Mass | 238.0289 u |
| Density | 19.1 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 1405.3 K |
| Boiling Point | 4404.0 K |
| Appearance | Silvery-gray metallic |
| State at Room Temp | Solid |
Chemical Properties
| Electronegativity | 1.38 (Pauling) |
| 1st Ionization Energy | 597.6 kJ/mol |
| Electron Affinity | 50.94 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation States | +2, +3, +4, +5, +6 |
Atomic Properties
| Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2 |
| Atomic Radius | 156.0 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 196.0 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 186.0 pm |
Discovery
| Discovered By | Martin Heinrich Klaproth |
| Discovery Year | 1789 |
| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Named After | Named after the planet Uranus |
About Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-gray metallic element. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope. Uranium was used as a yellow glass colorant centuries before its radioactivity was discovered.
Uses & Applications
Nuclear power, nuclear weapons, armor-piercing ammunition, radiation shielding, and glass colorant.
Fun Fact
Antique 'Vaseline glass' colored with uranium from the 1800s still glows green under UV light.
Isotopes
| Mass Number | Abundance | Half-Life | Stable |
| 234 | 0.000054% | 245,500 years | No |
| 235 | 0.007204% | 703.8 million years | No |
| 238 | 0.992742% | 4.468 billion years | No |
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2