Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Chemistry Project: URANIUM!

 URANIUM



 My element is Uranium known in spanish as Uranio and in Arabic as اليورانيوم.


When Uranium is in its pure form it is a metal that is soft and silvery white. Uranium is usually found in small white lumps and is known to be the heaviest element in nature. Uranium often gets confused with magnesium but can easily be told apart by weighing the two. (U =10 x Mg)


In Uranium-235 there are 143 neutrons and 92 protons. In uranium-238 there is 146 neutrons and 92 protons. These Isotopes frequently occur in Uranium. The half-lives of Uranium-235 is 4.47 billion years and  uranium-235 is 704 million years. IN their natural abundance in percent it 
99.284% and the average atomic mass is 238.0289 amu.


In Uranium there is 92 electrons in a neutral atom because neutrons are neutral. Uranium has six shells of electrons as you can see in the picture to the left. 

 The atomic radius of Uranium im picometers is 175 and in meters the atomic radius would be 175x10-12.



Uranyl Sulfate



  
The physical properties of Uranium in its pure form is a silvery, shiny metal that is ductile and malleable. The chemical properties of Uranium is really reactive. IT combines with non-metals, for example; Oxygen and sulfur. Uranium also dissolves in acids and reacts with water, and forms
compounds that have yellowish and greenish colors.

Uranium's abundance in earths crust is "2.7 ppm by weight and 0.25 ppm by moles". In our UniversE Uranium has 1ppm by weight and 4 ppm by moles. The total weight of Uranium in grams is 18.90. .



Uranyl Carbonate
                                                               Uranuim forms compounds such as uranyl carbonate, uranyl chloride and uranyl sulfate. Uranyl Carbonate is "a carbonate of uranium that forms the backbone of several uranyl mineral species". Uranyl Chloride is a unstable, really bright yellow colored chemical compound of uranium.Uranyl Sulfate is a sulfate of uranium is an odorless lemon-yellow sand-like solid in its pure crystalline form.                              

                                                                         Uranium was discovered by a German chemist named 
Martin Heinrich Klaproth. He announced this new 
element in 1789, Mistakenly called a black powder Uranium but it was one of its Oxides. In 1841 afrench scientist named Eugene Peligot isolated the pure metallic element, and in 1896 a Franch physicist Atoine Becquerel discovered the properties of this radio active element. French and Polish scientist, 
countinued to explore radio activity and in 1898 found that atoms was involved with this element. During the years they also discovered Radium and Polonium.
 


                                                                                                                       Uranium roll in society mainly is to power nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, and electricity. It was also used in paint and ceramics until the radioactive health threat was recognized. Uranium is very bad, extremely hazardous and harmful!
The effects of uranium in humans are very toxic(usually causes kidney toxicity)  and  abnormality. It is very sad and upsetting.

                                                                                                                      
                                               






Uranium-the name originates from the planet Uranus. Classified as a "rare earth metal" and was the first element to be known as a fissile which means capable of  undergoing nuclear fusion. NUclear is used for these main reasons Nuclear fuel, Nuclear weapon, Gyroscopic compasses, Ceramic glazes, Colored glass, and X-ray.








REFERENCE:  http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/92.html
                           http://www.chemicool.com/elements/uranium.html
                           http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele092.html









                        PPPPPEEEEEEAAAACEEE OOOOOOUUUTTTT!
                                              





 




























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