94

Pu

Plutonium
[ 244 ]
 Historical Information

Plutonium was synthesized by Seaborg, McMillan, Kennedy and Wahl in 1940 by deuteron bombardment of uranium in a cyclotron (a device used to accelerate atomic particles) at Berkeley, California, USA. Plutonium was the second transuranium element of the actinide series to be discovered.

Basic Information Shells
  • Name:Plutonium
  • Symbol: Pu
  • Atomic number: 94
  • Atomic weight: [ 244 ]
  • Standard state: solid at 298 K
  • Group in periodic table:
  • Group name:Actinoid
  • Period in periodic table: 7
  • Block in periodic table: f-block
  • Classification: Metallic
 Plutonium
Uses Trivia
  • nuclear weapons
  • source of nuclear power
  • pacemakers

One kilogram is equivalent to about 22 million kilowatt hours of heat energy. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equal to about 20000 tons of chemical explosive.