Uranium
By Keith lowy
Uranium is a chemical element located in period 7/f-block with symbol U and atomic number 92 and atomic mass of 238(3). Its a silvery-white metal in the actinide series.
Uranium has 92 protons and 92 electrons of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weakly radioactive because all of its isotopes are unstable (with half-lives of the 6 naturally known isotopes, uranium-233 to uranium-238, varying between 69 years and 4 1⁄2 billion years). Uranium has 140-150 neutrons depending on the type such as Uranium-238 has 146 neutrons while Uranium-235 has only 143.
Physical properties
Phase: Solid
Melting point: 1405.3 k (1132.2 °C, 2070 °F)
Boiling point: 4404 k (4131 °C, 7468 °F)
Density: 19.1 g·cm−3
Density liquid: 17.3 g·cm−3
Heat of fusion: 9.14 kJ·mol−1
Heat of vaporization: 417.1 kJ·mol−1
Molar heat capacity: 27.665 J·mol−1·K−1
Vapor pressure
P(Pa) (1) {10} [100] <1k> >10k< "100k"
at T (k) (2325) {2564} [2859] <3234> >3727< "4402"
Chemical properties
Thermal expansion: 13.9 µm·m−1·K−1 (at 25 °C)
Thermal conductivity: 27.5 W·m−1·K−1
Electrical resistivity: at 0 °C: 0.280 µΩ·m
Magnetic ordering: Paramagnetic
Young's modulus: 208 Gpa
Bulk modulus: 100 Gpa
History
Naming: after planet Uranus, itself named after Greek god of the sky Uranus
Discovery: Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1789)
First isolation: Eugène-Melchior Péligot (1841)
Ways Uranium has been used
Once depleted militaries use them for high-density penetrators
Uranium based nuke nicknamed "little boy"
Citrobacter
Species can have concentrations of uranium in their bodies 300 times higher than in the surrounding environment.