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URANIUM

URANIUM. By: Munish R. Adhikari. Discovery Of Uranium. Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. Martin Heinrich Klaproth was analysing a mineral called pitchblende and discovered a black powder in it.

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URANIUM

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  1. URANIUM By: Munish R. Adhikari

  2. Discovery Of Uranium • Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. • Martin Heinrich Klaproth was analysing a mineral called pitchblende and discovered a black powder in it. • The black powder was incorrectly called uranium, however, it was an oxide of uranium. • French Scientist, Eugene Peligot isolated the pure metallic element in 1841. • French Physicist Antoine Becquerel discovered the radioactive properties of uranium. • Marie and Pierre Curie, the French/Polish scientists, explored radioactivity and found that it was associated with atoms in 1898, leading to the discovery of polonium and radium from the pitchblende.

  3. Characteristics of Uranium • Uranium is a radioactive element. • Uranium occurs naturally in varying but small amounts in soil, rocks, water, plants, animals, and all human beings. • It is the heaviest naturally occurring element, with an atomic number of 92. • In its pure form, uranium is a silver-colored heavy metal that is nearly twice as dense as lead. • In nature, uranium exist as several isotopes. • Uranium-238 (meaning 238 protons and neutrons in the nucleus), uranium-235 and uranium-234. • Since Uranium is radioactive, the nuclei spontaneously disintegrates/decays.

  4. Characteristics of Uranium Continued • Uranium, the naturally occurring metal and its isotopes have a half life. • Half life is the time it takes for half of the radioactive substance to decay. • Uranium-234 has a half life of 248,000 years • Uranium-235 has a half life of 700 Million years. • Uranium-238 has a half life of 4.5 billion years. • These are the key uranium isotopes (234, 235 and 238).

  5. Uses of Uranium, Present and Past • Uranium was primarily as a colorant in ceramic glazes to produce colors ranging from orange-red to lemon yellow. • It was used for tinting in early photography. • It is currently used as a fuel in nuclear power reactors to generate electricity. • It is used in weapons applications. • It is used in small nuclear reactors to produce isotopes for medical and industrial purposes around the world.

  6. Source of the Element • Uranium is found in numerous minerals, such as pitchblende, uraninite, carnotite, autunite, uranophane and tobernite. • Uranium is also found in phosphate rock, lignite, monazite sands, and can be recovered commercially from these sources. • Uranium is one of the most unstable elements known to man. • Uranium is so active that it is nearly impossible to purify. • Uranium clings tightly to any impurities

  7. Final Notes on Uranium • Uranium is the most dense naturally occurring element known to man. • Uranium can be used for weapons, energy or medicine. • Uranium is radioactive. • Homer handles Uranium.

  8. Bibliography • “About Uranium: Discovery of Uranium” http://www.uraniumsa.org/about/discovery.htm January 12, 2006. • “What is Uranium?” Depleted UF6. http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/guide/ucompound/whatisu/index.cfm January 12, 2006. • “Characteristics of Uranium and Its Compounds” US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management” Fall 2001. http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/pdf/UraniumCharacteristicsFS.PDF January 12, 2006. • “Uranium” 5 Fantastic Elements. http://library.thinkquest.org/J002959F/uranium.htm January 12, 2006.

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