Pu - Plutonium
Plutonium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an Actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation states.
It belongs to group null of the periodic table having trivial name . You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Plutonium in a PDF format.
Plutonium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Plutonium
| Name | Plutonium |
| Atomic Number | 94 |
| Atomic Symbol | Pu |
| Atomic Weight | 244 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery white, tarnishing to dark gray in air |
| Classification | Actinide |
| Natural Occurance | From decay |
| Group in Periodic Table | - |
| Group Name | |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 7 |
| Block in Periodic Table | f-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Rn] 5f6 7s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2 |
| Melting Point | 913 K |
| Boiling Point | 3503 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-07-5 |
How to Locate Plutonium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 94 to find Plutonium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Plutonium on periodic table look for cross section of group - and period 7 in the modern periodic table.
Plutonium History
The element Plutonium was discovered by Glenn T. Seaborg,Arthur C. Wahl,W. Kennedy and E.M. McMillan in year 1940 in United States. Plutonium was first isolated by in . Plutonium derived its name from Pluto, a dwarf planet in the Solar System (then considered the ninth planet).
| Discovered By | Glenn T. Seaborg,Arthur C. Wahl,W. Kennedy and E.M. McMillan |
| Discovery Date | 1940 in United States |
| First Isolation | |
| Isolated by |
Prepared by bombardment of uranium with deuterons. Traces were found in natural Canadian pitchblende in 1941–1942
Plutonium Uses
Plutonium is used as a nuclear fuel and in nuclear weapons.
Plutonium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Plutonium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | - | - |
| Abundance in Sun | - | - |
| Abundance in Meteorites | - | - |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | - | - |
| Abundance in Oceans | - | - |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Plutonium
The solid state structure of Plutonium is Simple Monoclinic.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 618.3 pm | 482.2 pm | 1096.3 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | 1.776571 | π/2 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P121/m1 |
| Space Group Number | 11 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Monoclinic |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Plutonium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Plutonium atoms have 94 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 7F0.
| Atomic Number | 94 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 94 |
| Number of Protons | 94 |
| Mass Number | 244 |
| Number of Neutrons | 150 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f6 7s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5f6 7s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 6 |
| Main Oxidation States | 4 |
| Oxidation States | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 7F0 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Plutonium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Plutonium - neutral Plutonium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Plutonium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Plutonium atom is [Rn] 5f6 7s2. The portion of Plutonium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Rn]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 5f6 7s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Plutonium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Plutonium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f6 7s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Plutonium
Plutonium atomic radius is 175 pm, while it's covalent radius is -.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 175 pm(1.75 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 175 pm (1.75 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 12.29 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | - |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 1.7 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | - |
Spectral Lines of Plutonium - Atomic Spectrum of Plutonium
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Plutonium
Absorption spectrum of Plutonium
Plutonium Chemical Properties: Plutonium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Plutonium is -.
| Valence | 6 |
| Electronegativity | 1.28 |
| ElectronAffinity | - |
Ionization Energy of Plutonium
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Plutonium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 584.7 |
Plutonium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Plutonium Physical Properties
| Density | 19.816 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $16.63 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 12.29 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 96 |
| Shear Modulus | 43 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | - |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.21 |
Hardness of Plutonium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | - |
| Vickers Hardness | - |
| Brinell Hardness | - |
Plutonium Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Plutonium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Plutonium
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 670000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 0.0000015 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Plutonium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 6 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | - |
Plutonium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 3.17e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 7.735e-9 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0006282 |
Optical Properties of Plutonium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Plutonium
| Speed of Sound | 2260 m/s |
Plutonium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Plutonium
| Melting Point | 913 K(639.85 °C, 1183.730 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 3503 K(3229.85 °C, 5845.730 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Enthalpies of Plutonium
| Heat of Fusion | - |
| Heat of Vaporization | 325 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Plutonium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Plutonium
Plutonium has 20 isotopes, with between 228 and 247 nucleons. Plutonium has 0 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Plutonium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: -.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 228Pu | 94 | 134 | 228 | Synthetic | ||
| 229Pu | 94 | 135 | 229 | Synthetic | ||
| 230Pu | 94 | 136 | 230 | Synthetic | ||
| 231Pu | 94 | 137 | 231 | Synthetic | ||
| 232Pu | 94 | 138 | 232 | Synthetic | ||
| 233Pu | 94 | 139 | 233 | Synthetic | ||
| 234Pu | 94 | 140 | 234 | Synthetic | ||
| 235Pu | 94 | 141 | 235 | Synthetic | ||
| 236Pu | 94 | 142 | 236 | Synthetic | ||
| 237Pu | 94 | 143 | 237 | Synthetic | ||
| 238Pu | 94 | 144 | 238 | Synthetic | ||
| 239Pu | 94 | 145 | 239 | Synthetic | ||
| 240Pu | 94 | 146 | 240 | Synthetic | ||
| 241Pu | 94 | 147 | 241 | Synthetic | ||
| 242Pu | 94 | 148 | 242 | Synthetic | ||
| 243Pu | 94 | 149 | 243 | Synthetic | ||
| 244Pu | 94 | 150 | 244 | Synthetic | 7.93×10^7 years | AlphaEmission |
| 245Pu | 94 | 151 | 245 | Synthetic | ||
| 246Pu | 94 | 152 | 246 | Synthetic | ||
| 247Pu | 94 | 153 | 247 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Health Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Hazards | N/A |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-07-5 |
| RTECS Number | - |
| CID Number | CID23940 |
| Gmelin Number | Gmelin40432 |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Plutonium with other elements
Compare Plutonium with Group , Period 7 and Actinide elements of the periodic table.
Compare Plutonium with all Group elements
Compare Plutonium with all Period 7 elements
Compare Plutonium with all Actinide elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Plutonium