Uranium
From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uranium is a silvery-gray metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table. It has the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is weakly radioactive. It occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite.
In nature, uranium atoms exist as uranium-238, uranium-235, and a very small amount of uranium-234. Uranium decays slowly by emitting an alpha particle.
It is used for its nuclear properties, including nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons, as well as the mechanical characteristics of depleted uranium, which is all U-238. Depleted uranium is extremely dense, and has a number of applications as mechanical ballast. The combined density and pyrophoric property make it effective as antitank ammunition.
