01 About Plutonium
Does not exist in nature (except in trace amounts). Created in nuclear reactors from U-238. Warm to the touch from its own radioactive decay. The most complex electronic structure of any element.
02 Physical Properties
State at room temperature๐ชจ Solid
Melting point640 ยฐC
Boiling point3228 ยฐC
Density19.84 g/cmยณ
Atomic mass244 u
Electron configuration2,8,18,32,24,8,2
Period / GroupPeriod 7 (f-block)
BlockF-block
03 Discovery
Plutonium was discovered in 1940 by Seaborg et al..
As a actinide, Pu appears in the f-block of the periodic table and has complex electron configurations that make it chemically interesting. โ See nuclear elements on NexoHub
04 Nuclear Significance โข๏ธ
Plutonium plays a significant role in nuclear physics and energy. Explore the nuclear elements on NexoHub โ
Plutonium-239, produced in reactors from U-238, was the fissile material in the Nagasaki bomb and in many modern warheads. See the Nagasaki incident โ