U
Uranium
Atomic number: 92Mass: 238.029 uCategory: Actinide
About Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-grey metal that is weakly radioactive. It is the heaviest naturally occurring element. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope — it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction and is used as nuclear fuel.
Properties
Period
7
Group
N/A
Block
F
Category
Actinide
Electronegativity
1.38 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
597.6 kJ/mol
Melting Point
1405 K (1132°C)
Boiling Point
4404 K (4131°C)
Density
19.1 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+3, +4, +5, +6
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 5f³ 6d¹ 7s²
[Rn] 5f³ 6d¹ 7s²
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:32e⁻
Shell 5:21e⁻
Shell 6:9e⁻
Shell 7:2e⁻
Real-World Uses
Nuclear power plants
Nuclear weapons (historically)
Radiation shielding
Colouring glass (old)
Counterweights in aircraft (depleted uranium)
Fun Fact
The energy in just 1 kg of uranium-235 equals the energy from burning 3,000 tonnes of coal — nuclear power is that efficient!