Plutonium Facts

Chemistry has always fascinated man. Every now and then, a new element has been discovered and added to the ever growing periodic table. One such element that has gained notoriety is plutonium. This is because this element strongly figures in the list of radioactive elements. Yes, plutonium is a transuranic element that is radioactive in nature. This actinide metal is silvery-white in color which gets oxidized and tarnished when exposed to the atmosphere.

Facts About Plutonium

• Plutonium, which has the symbol 'Pu' in the periodic table, was discovered way back in the year 1934, although it was first produced and isolated only in 1940 and then, identified in 1941 by the scientists Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. McMillan, J. W. Kennedy, and A. C. Wahl. The plutonium that is seen nowadays is mostly man-made and is synthesized from pre-existing Uranium.
• Plutonium when it was being discovered, it was the same time there was speculation of a new planet being discovered back then, which was Pluto. Hence, Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg decided to call the element 'plutonium'.
• One of the plutonium facts for kids is that plutonium has an atomic number of 94, atomic weight of 244, a density of 19.816 g/cm³, a melting point of 640 ºC and a boiling point of 3230 ºC.
• This element can exhibit six allotropes and has a total of four oxidation states, making it capable of reacting with carbon, halogens, nitrogen and silicon. In fact, when plutonium is in an aqueous solution, it is capable of showing different colors depending on its stage of oxidation; these colors range from blue and lavender to yellow and brown.
• One of the facts about plutonium is that, it has different isotopes and one of its isotopes, plutonium-239 has a half life of a whooping 24,100 years! This is the reason why plutonium was favored while making atom bombs.
• Another interesting plutonium fact is that this element, when exposed to moist air, forms oxides and hydrides, which make it expand in volume by more than half, and then, flake off in a powdery form. This powder has the property of spontaneously igniting if left as it is, and so metallic plutonium is highly flammable. Its flammability increases if it is finely divided and then exposed to moisture, as there is more surface area available.
• You may be shocked to know that the bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki, in Japan in August 1945, known as 'Fat Man', had a core entirely made of the radioactive isotope, plutonium-239, that is how lethal this chemical element is! Plutonium-239 is a major fissile element, that is, it can sustain a chain reaction of nuclear fission reactions in nuclear bombs.
• Coming to some facts regarding its dangers. This is, as mentioned earlier, radioactive in nature and tends to accumulate in the bone marrow, making the person susceptible to bone cancers due to its radioactivity.
• The plutonium-238 isotope has a half-life of only eighty-eight years. However, when it decays, it tends to give out a lot of thermal energy and so, has been used in generating power in spacecrafts that have been launched by NASA.
• There are very few good, non-destructive uses of plutonium. These include it being used to power artificial heart pacemakers and for electrical power generation in some devices. As mentioned earlier, its use also includes in spacecrafts that are to be sent out of the earth's orbit.
• One of the dangerous plutonium element facts is that plutonium is highly toxic in nature and its effects on the human body are far worse when it is inhaled as against it being ingested.

So, these were some plutonium facts that must have definitely increased your knowledge about this dangerous element of chemistry. These facts about plutonium make us realize how man can create structures that can wreak havoc on himself and nature. Let us hope that in the future, plutonium is only used in the interest of humanity and mankind, and not otherwise.