🔹 Basic Information

• Element Name: Uranium
• Discovered By: Martin Heinrich Klaproth (Germany)
• Year of Discovery: 1789
• Category: Actinide Series / Radioactive Metal
• Group: Actinides (no formal group number)
• State at Room Temperature: Solid 🧊

Uranium is a heavy, silvery-gray metal that’s naturally radioactive. It is found in rocks, soil, and seawater, and is used widely for nuclear energy and weapons.

🔸 Chemical Properties

• Chemical Symbol: U
• Atomic Number: 92
• Atomic Mass: ~238.03 u
• Valency: Usually +6, +4
• Electronic Configuration: [Rn] 5f³ 6d¹ 7s²

Uranium is a reactive metal that forms complex oxides. The most common isotope is U-238, but U-235 is crucial for nuclear reactions.

📘 Basic Things to Know

Uranium was named after the planet Uranus, which had been discovered just a few years earlier 🔭. It’s the heaviest naturally occurring element found in significant quantities on Earth.

🤔 Interesting Facts

• Used as fuel in nuclear power plants to generate electricity ⚡
• U-235 isotope is used in nuclear weapons and reactors
• Naturally found in small amounts in soil, rocks, and water
• Highly toxic and radioactive, requiring careful storage ☢️
• Used in early photography and glow-in-the-dark glassware (before radiation risks were known)

🔧 Common Uses

✔️ Nuclear Power:
Used in reactors to produce clean, large-scale electricity

✔️ Nuclear Weapons:
Used in the core of atomic bombs (especially U-235)

✔️ Scientific Research:
Used in physics to study fission and radioactive decay

✔️ Dating of Ancient Rocks:
Uranium-lead dating helps determine Earth’s age

📚 Conclusion

Uranium is a powerful, naturally radioactive metal with huge importance in energy and science. For students, it’s an element that teaches about atomic energy, nuclear physics, and Earth’s history — and reminds us of the great power and responsibility that come with scientific discovery. ⚛️🌍