Uranium - Wikipedia
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium radioactively decays, usually by …
Uranium | Definition, Properties, Uses, & Facts | Britannica
Oct 3, 2024 · Uranium, radioactive chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, atomic number 92. It is an important nuclear fuel. It is a dense, hard metallic element that is silvery white in color. It is ductile, malleable, and capable of taking a high polish.
Uranium - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table
Extracted uranium is converted to the purified oxide, known as yellow-cake. Uranium metal can be prepared by reducing uranium halides with Group 1 or Group 2 metals, or by reducing uranium oxides with calcium or aluminium.
Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium - Department of Energy
Nov 15, 2016 · Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium has the highest atomic weight of all naturally occurring elements.
Uranium: Facts about the radioactive element that powers nuclear ...
Mar 9, 2022 · Uranium is a radioactive metal central to one of the most devastating acts of war in history. On Aug. 6, 1945, a 10-foot-long (3 meters) bomb fell from the sky over the Japanese city of...
Uranium Element Facts and Properties - ThoughtCo
Jul 3, 2019 · Uranium is a heavy, lustrous, silvery-white metal, capable of taking a high polish. It exhibits three crystallographic modifications: alpha, beta, and gamma. It is a bit softer than steel; not hard enough to scratch glass. It is malleable, ductile, and slightly paramagnetic.
What is Uranium? | IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
Aug 16, 2023 · Its special properties make uranium the main source of fuel for nuclear reactors — a chicken-egg sized amount of uranium fuel can provide as much electricity as 88 tonnes of coal. Uranium is among the more common elements in the earth’s crust — about 500 times more common than gold.
What is Uranium? How Does it Work? - World Nuclear Association
May 16, 2024 · Uranium is a heavy metal which has been used as an abundant source of concentrated energy for over 60 years. Uranium occurs in most rocks in concentrations of 2 to 4 parts per million and is as common in the Earth's crust as tin, tungsten and molybdenum.
Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Uranium metal can be prepared by reducing uranium halides with alkali or alkaline earth metals or by reducing uranium oxides by calcium, aluminum, or carbon at high temperatures. The metal can also be produced by electrolysis of KUF 5 or UF 4 , dissolved in a …
Uranium | History, Uses, Facts, Physical & Chemical Characteristics
Definition, mass & chemical names. Uranium. Uranium is a weakly radioactive element discovered in 1789 by Martin Heinrich Klaproth. It is widely used to fuel nuclear power plants and to make high density penetrators. Atomic bomb is also made using Uranium.