U - Uranium

92
U
Uranium

Uranium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

Element 92 of Periodic table is Uranium with atomic number 92, atomic weight 238.02891. Uranium, symbol U, has a Base Centered Orthorhombic structure and Silver color. Uranium is a Actinide element. It is part of group null (). Know everything about Uranium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
92 U - Uranium | SchoolMyKids

Uranium is a chemical element with symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-white metal in the Actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons.

It belongs to group null of the periodic table having trivial name . You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Uranium in a PDF format.

Uranium Facts

Read key information and facts about element Uranium

NameUranium
Atomic Number92
Atomic SymbolU
Atomic Weight238.02891
PhaseSolid
ColorSilver
Appearance-
ClassificationActinide
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table-
Group Name
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 7
Block in Periodic Tablef-block
Electronic Configuration[Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2
Melting Point1408 K
Boiling Point4200 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-61-1
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Uranium 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 92 to find Uranium 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 Uranium on periodic table look for cross section of group - and period 7 in the modern periodic table.

Uranium History

The element Uranium was discovered by H. Klaproth in year 1789 in Germany. Uranium was first isolated by E.-M. Péligot in 1841. Uranium derived its name from Uranus, the seventh planet in the Solar System.

Discovered By H. Klaproth
Discovery Date 1789 in Germany
First Isolation 1841
Isolated by E.-M. Péligot

Klaproth mistakenly identified auranium oxideobtained frompitchblendeas the element itself and named it after the recently discovered planetUranus.

Uranium Uses

Uranium is used as nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors and produces the material needed for nuclear weapons. It is also used as a colorant for glass. It is also the major material from which other synthetic transuranium elements are made.

Uranium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Uranium 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 Universe0.20.001
Abundance in Sun10.004
Abundance in Meteorites101
Abundance in Earth's Crust1800150
Abundance in Oceans3.30.086
Abundance in Humans10.03

Crystal Structure of Uranium

The solid state structure of Uranium is Base Centered Orthorhombic.

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)

abc
285.37 pm586.95 pm495.48 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 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 NameCmcm
Space Group Number63
Crystal StructureBase Centered Orthorhombic
Number of atoms per unit cell2
92 U Uranium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Uranium Atomic and Orbital Properties

Uranium atoms have 92 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 5L6.

Atomic Number92
Number of Electrons (with no charge)92
Number of Protons92
Mass Number238
Number of Neutrons146
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2
Electron Configuration[Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2
Valence Electrons5f3 6d1 7s2
Valence (Valency)6
Main Oxidation States4, 6
Oxidation States-1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)5L6

Bohr Atomic Model of Uranium - Electrons per energy level

92 U Uranium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Uranium - neutral Uranium atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Uranium

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Uranium atom is [Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2. The portion of Uranium 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 5f3 6d1 7s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Uranium

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Uranium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f3 6d1 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.

Electron configuration of Uranium

Atomic Structure of Uranium

Uranium atomic radius is 175 pm, while it's covalent radius is -.

Atomic Radius Calculated175 pm(1.75 Å)
Atomic Radius Empirical175 pm (1.75 Å)
Atomic Volume12.495 cm3/mol
Covalent Radius-
Van der Waals Radius186 pm
Neutron Cross Section7.57
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0005

Spectral Lines of Uranium - Atomic Spectrum of Uranium

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 Uranium

Emission Spectrum of Uranium | SchoolMyKids

Absorption spectrum of Uranium

Absorption Spectrum of Uranium | SchoolMyKids

Uranium Chemical Properties: Uranium Ionization Energies and electron affinity

The electron affinity of Uranium is -.

Valence6
Electronegativity1.38
ElectronAffinity-

Ionization Energy of Uranium

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 Uranium

Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
1st597.6
2nd1420

Uranium Physical Properties

Refer to below table for Uranium Physical Properties

Density19.05 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $17.3 g/cm3)
Molar Volume12.495 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus208
Shear Modulus111 GPa
Bulk Modulus 100 GPa
Poisson Ratio0.23

Hardness of Uranium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness6 MPa
Vickers Hardness1960 MPa
Brinell Hardness2400 MPa

Uranium 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).

Uranium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Uranium

Electrical conductors Conductor
Electrical Conductivity3600000 S/m
Resistivity2.79e-7 m Ω
Superconducting Point0.68

Uranium Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity27 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.0000139 /K

Uranium Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeParamagnetic
Curie Point-
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility2.16e-8 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility5.14e-9 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility0.000411

Optical Properties of Uranium

Refractive Index-

Acoustic Properties of Uranium

Speed of Sound3155 m/s

Uranium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Uranium

Melting Point1408 K(1134.85 °C, 2074.730 °F)
Boiling Point4200 K(3926.85 °C, 7100.330 °F)
Critical Temperature-
Superconducting Point0.68

Enthalpies of Uranium

Heat of Fusion14 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization420 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-

Uranium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Uranium

Uranium has 26 isotopes, with between 217 and 242 nucleons. Uranium has 0 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

Isotopes of Uranium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: -.

IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
217U92125217Synthetic
218U92126218Synthetic
219U92127219Synthetic
220U92128220Synthetic
221U92129221Synthetic
222U92130222Synthetic
223U92131223Synthetic
224U92132224Synthetic
225U92133225Synthetic
226U92134226Synthetic
227U92135227Synthetic
228U92136228Synthetic
229U92137229Synthetic
230U92138230Synthetic
231U92139231Synthetic
232U92140232Synthetic
233U92141233Synthetic
234U921422340.0055%StableN/A
235U921432350.72%StableN/A
236U92144236Synthetic
237U92145237Synthetic
238U9214623899.2745%4.471×10^9 yearsAlphaEmission
239U92147239Synthetic
240U92148240Synthetic
241U92149241Synthetic
242U92150242Synthetic

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.

Radioactive materials

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.

Autoignition Point-
Flashpoint-

Database Search

List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

DatabaseIdentifier number
CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-61-1
RTECS NumberRTECSYR3490000
CID Number CID23989
Gmelin NumberGmelin16315
NSC Number-

Compare Uranium with other elements

Compare Uranium with Group , Period 7 and Actinide elements of the periodic table.

Compare Uranium with all Group elements

Compare Uranium with all Period 7 elements

Compare Uranium with all Actinide elements

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Uranium

The electronic configuration of Uranium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f3 6d1 7s2.

The abbreviated electronic configuration of Uranium is [Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

Symbol of Uranium is U. Uranium is a chemical element with symbol U and atomic number 92.

Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. Uranium is the 92 element on the periodic table. It is located in group null and period 7 in the modern periodic table.

The atomic number of Uranium is 92.

Uranium is of Silver color.

The element Uranium was discovered by H. Klaproth in year 1789 in Germany. Uranium was first isolated by E.-M. Péligot in 1841.

Uranium has 6 valence electrons. Uranium has 92 electrons out of which 6 valence electrons are present in the 5f3 6d1 7s2 outer orbitals of atom.

Melting Point of Uranium is 1408 K.

Boiling Point of Uranium is 4200 K.

Melting Point of Uranium in Kelvin is 1408 K.

Boiling Point of Uranium in Kelvin is 4200 K.

Melting Point of Uranium in Celsius is 1134.85 °C.

Boiling Point of Uranium in Celsius is 3926.85 °C.

Melting Point of Uranium in Fahrenheit is 2074.73 °F.

Boiling Point of Uranium in Fahrenheit is 7100.33 °F.

The electronic configuration of Uranium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f3 6d1 7s2.

The electronic configuration of Uranium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f3 6d1 7s2.