Plutonium By Declan McCarthy

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PlutoniumBy Declan McCarthy
94 Pu Plutonium 244

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Plutonium

• Properties
• Density 19.8 grams per ml
• Melting Point 913 K
• Ionization Potential 6.06 Volts
• Boiling Point 3503 K
• Standard state solid at 298 K
• Color silvery white
• Classification Metallic
• Plutonium has 15 isotopes with atomic weights
  ranging from 232 to 246. Isotopes of the same
  element have the same number of protons in their
  nuclei but differ by the number of neutrons.

• Uses
• Nuclear Weapons 1 kg produces an explosion
  equal to about 20,000 tons of chemical explosives
• Source of Nuclear Power 1 kg gives 22 million
  kilowatt hours of heat energy
• Pacemakers
• The isotope 233Pu was used in the American Apollo
  lunar missions to power equipment on the surface
  of the moon.
• It now finds its best use in deep space probe
  electricity sources .

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Origin and Naming of Plutonium

• The isotope Pu-238 was first produced by Seaborg,
  McMillan, Kennedy, and Wahl by deuteron
  bombardment of uranium in a cyclotron at the
  University of California (made in a nuclear
  reactor). It is formed in much the same manner as
  neptunium, by irradiation of natural uranium with
  the neutrons which are present.
• Plutonium also exists in trace quantities in
  naturally occurring uranium ores.
• The discoverers decided to name the element
  plutonium, just like uranium is named after
  Uranus, neptunium by McMillan and Abelson after
  Neptune, and so they decided to name it
  plutonium. Seaborg said, We should have named it
  plutium, but we liked plutonium better. It just
  sounded better. And the symbol obviously should
  have been Pl, but we liked Pu better so we gave
  it the symbol Pu.

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Plutonium (To the tune of Amazing Grace)

• Plutonium, how sweet you sound, But what a threat
  youll be.
• You once were made by scientists, In Berkeleys
  laboratory.
• Plutonium was made for good, But some uses are
  bad.
• Its used to power reactors, But one more use is
  sad.
• Plutonium is in weapons, That could destroy the
  Earth.
• Its also used to power things, That have a
  greater worth.
• Plutonium in pacemakers, Helps slowly beating
  hearts.
• Another use is in deep space, For power to
  explore these parts.
• Plutonium has quite the sound, From Pluto came
  its name.
• Its symbol is P-u, oh, no! And that is
  somewhat lame.

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Sources

• http//chemlab.pc.maricopa.edu/periodic/Pu.html
• http//www.britannica.com/nobel/micro/472_22.html
• http//www.ieer.org/fctsheet/pu-props.html
• http//www-library.lbl.gov/Seaborg/65th-anniv/14.h
  tml
• http//www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb99/9188696
  19.Ph.r.html
• http//www.scescape.net/woods/elements/plutonium.
  html
• http//www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/te
  xt/Pu/econ.html