94
Plutonium
Atomic Number94
Atomic Mass244 u
CategoryActinide
State at Room TempSolid
Year Discovered1940
About Plutonium
Named after the dwarf planet Pluto, following the uranium-neptunium-plutonium sequence. Used in nuclear weapons and as fuel for space missions. Plutonium-238 powers the Curiosity rover and Voyager spacecraft. One of the most toxic substances known, primarily due to alpha radiation. Produced in nuclear reactors from uranium-238. The Trinity test and Fat Man bomb both used plutonium.
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