Table of Contents
2. How much energy is in uranium?
3. How many protons does uranium have?
4. What does uranium look like?
6. How many electrons does uranium have?
7. Where does uranium come from?
8. How many neutrons does uranium have?
11. What is yellowcake uranium?
What is uranium?
Uranium is a chemical (A very important one) that has the atomic number 92. Its atomic mass is 238.028 g/mol and it is represented by the symbol U. It is a member of the actinide series and is located in period 7 of the periodic table. It has 92 electrons and has 146 neutrons. Uranium is an f-block element and its oxidation states are +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6. The electronegativity of Uranium is 1.38 (Pauling scale). The electronic configuration of Uranium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f3 6d1 7s2. Uranium has no stable isotope it is a radioactive element. Three isotopes are found in nature are uranium-238, uranium-235, and uranium-234. Uranium-238 is more abundant and has a long half-life as compared to other isotopes. Uranium has a silvery gray metallic color which on exposure to air turns into a black oxide coat. It has poor electrical conductance and is strongly electropositive. It has three allotropic forms α (orthorhombic), β (tetragonal), and γ (body-centered cubic). Uranium has a density of about 19.1 g/cm3 which is denser than lead and slightly less dense than gold. Its melting point is 1405.3 K ?(1132.2 °C, ?2070 °F) and its boiling point is 4404 K ?(4131 °C, ?7468 °F). The ionization energy required for the 1st electron is 597.6 kJ/mol and for the 2nd is 1420 kJ/mol.
Uranium was discoverd by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. It was first isolated by Eugène-Melchior Péligot in 1841. Scientist believes that Uranium was produced in Supernovae through r-process (rapid neutron capture). Its average concentration in Earth's crust is 2 to 4 parts per million. Uranium can be extracted from ore such as uraninite, coffinite, autunite, uranophane, torbernite, and carnotite. It can also be obtained from phosphate rock deposits such as monazite and lignite.
The main producer of uranium(Yellowcake) is Kazakhstan followed by Canada, Australia, Niger, Namibia (4,323 t), and Russia.
Uranium is used for military and civilian uses. Due to its high density depleted uranium, it is used in armors (Tank armor) and bullets for protection and penetration purposes. It is also used in inertial guidance systems and in gyroscopic compasses. Another military use is making nuclear weapons from the U-235 isotope.
Major Civilian use of uranium is the generation of electricity through nuclear power plants. The CANDU and Magnox and two types of commercial reactors used for electricity. 1 kg of U-235 can produce 20 terajoules of energy theoretically. Before the discovery of radioactivity, Uranium was used in glasses and in photographic chemicals as well as in lamp filaments.
How much energy is in uranium?
Theoretically, 1 kg of Uranium-235 can produce 20 terajoules of energy. This can be the equivalent of 1.5 million kilograms of coal.
How many protons does uranium have?
Uranium has 92 protons in its nucleus.
What does uranium look like?
Uranium in its pure form has a silvery gray metallic color. When exposed to oxygen in the air it changes its color into black metallic.
Where is uranium found?
Uranium ores are found in countries like Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Niger, Namibia, and Russia. The US and China along with other countries like India are producing a significant amount also. Some of the important ores of Uranium are carnotite, autunite, coffinite, uranophane, and torbernite. It is also found in phosphate rocks and minerals like lignite, and monazite.
How many electrons does uranium have?
In an electrically neutral atom of uranium, there are 92 electrons.
Where does uranium come from?
For commercial purposes (electricity production) Uranium is coming and produced by 17 countries. Canada which is providing 27.9% of world production followed by Australia with 22.8%, Kazakhstan 10.5%, Russia 8.0%, Namibia 7.5%, Niger 7.4%, Uzbekistan 5.5%, the United States 2.5%, Argentina 2.1%, Ukraine 1.9% and China 1.7%.
How many neutrons does uranium have?
Uranium has 146 neutrons. There are three major isotopes of Uranium found in nature. They are Uranium-238, Uranium-235, and Uranium-234. All of them have a different number of neutrons.
Who discovered uranium?
Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789 and it was isolated by Eugène-Melchior Péligot in 1841.
What is uranium used for?
Uranium is used for military and civilian uses. Due to its high density depleted uranium, it is used in armors (Tank armor) and bullets for protection and penetration purposes. It is also used in inertial guidance systems and in gyroscopic compasses. Another military use is making nuclear weapons from the U-235 isotope.
Major Civilian use of uranium is the generation of electricity through nuclear power plants. The CANDU and Magnox and two types of commercial reactors used for electricity. 1 kg of U-235 can produce 20 terajoules of energy theoretically. Before the discovery of radioactivity, Uranium was used in glasses and in photographic chemicals as well as in lamp filaments.
What is yellowcake uranium?
Yellowcake is a mixture of Uranium oxide which is extracted from uranium ores using solution mining or In-situ leaching technique. It is further refined to extract pure uranium. Yellowcake is also called urania. It contains 80% of uranium oxide. It has a pungent smell and is insoluble in water.
