Uranium (U) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Uranium element (U) is in period 7 of a periodic table. Uranium is in the f-block and it is classified as an actinide on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to uranium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Uranium element (Information Table)
• Uranium element in Periodic table
• Facts about Uranium
• Properties of Uranium
• Uses of Uranium

Uranium Element (Information Table)

The important data related to uranium element is given in the table below.

Appearance of uranium	Silvery white metallic
Atomic number of uranium	92
Symbol of uranium	U
Atomic mass of uranium	238.03 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in uranium	Protons: 92, Neutrons: 146, Electrons: 92
State of uranium (at STP)	Solid
Period number of uranium in periodic table	7
Block of uranium in periodic table	f-block
Category of uranium	Inner transition metals
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in uranium	2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2
Electron configuration of uranium	[Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2
Orbital diagram of uranium
Electronegativity of uranium (on pauling scale)	1.38
Atomic radius of uranium (van der Waals radius)	240 picometers
Density of uranium	19.05 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of uranium	6.194 eV
Main isotope of uranium	234U, 235U and 238U
Melting point of uranium	1405 K or 1132 °C or 2070 °F
Boiling point of uranium	4404 K or 4131 °C or 7468 °F
Crystal structure of uranium	Orthorhombic
Discovery of uranium	By Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Uranium element in Periodic table

The Uranium element (U) has the atomic number 92 and is located in period 7. Uranium is a metal and it is classified as an actinide group element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about uranium

Here are a few interesting facts about the uranium element.

1. Uranium was given its name from the name of the planet Uranus.
2. Uranium is the 50^th most abundant element found from the earth’s crust.
3. Martin Heinrich Klaproth discovered the element uranium in the year 1789.
4. Uraninite is the ore from which the majority of uranium is obtained from the earth’s crust.
5. The atomic bomb which was used during World War 2 was made from Uranium.

Properties of uranium

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of uranium.

Physical properties of uranium

• Uranium has a silvery gray metallic appearance.
• The density of uranium is 19.05 g/cm³ and its atomic mass is 238.03 amu.
• The melting point and boiling point of uranium is 1405 K and 4404 K respectively.
• There are many isotopes of uranium and all these isotopes are radioactive in nature.

Chemical properties of uranium

• Uranium forms an oxide layer when it reacts with the atmospheric air.
• Uranium dissolves in acids.
• Uranium is not affected by alkalis.
• Uranium is a radioactive as well as toxic element.

Uses of uranium

Here are some uses of the uranium element.

• The main use of uranium is in producing electricity in nuclear power plants.
• Uranium and thorium are responsible for the heat present in the earth’s crust.
• Uranium was once used in making pottery glazes as well as yellow glazes.

External resources:

1. Uranium – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Uranium – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/92/uranium
2. James A. M. & Lord M. P. (1992). Macmillan’s chemical and physical data. Macmillan.
3. Bedford, et al. (1996, April 1). Recommended values of temperature on the International Temperature Scale of 1990 for a selected set of secondary reference points. Metrologia, 33(2), 133–154. https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/33/2/3
4. Allred, A. (1961, June). Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 17(3–4), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5
5. Uranium – Wikipedia. (2014, August 6). Uranium – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium
6. Nuclear Fuel Facts: Uranium. (n.d.). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/ne/nuclear-fuel-facts-uranium
7. P. (n.d.). Uranium | U (Element) – PubChem. Uranium | U (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Uranium
8. It’s Elemental – The Element Uranium. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Uranium. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele092.html
9. What is Uranium? How Does it Work – World Nuclear Association. (n.d.). What Is Uranium? How Does It Work – World Nuclear Association. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/introduction/what-is-uranium-how-does-it-work.aspx
10. Uranium. (n.d.). NRC Web. https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/uranium.html
11. Manhattan Project: Science > Nuclear Physics > URANIUM CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY. (n.d.). Manhattan Project: Science > Nuclear Physics > URANIUM CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY. https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Science/NuclearPhysics/uranium-chemistry.html
12. Possolo, et al. (2018, January 4). Interpreting and propagating the uncertainty of the standard atomic weights (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(2), 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2016-0402
13. Emsley, J. (2011). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
14. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
15. Electronic structure of the elements. (2000, March). The European Physical Journal C, 15(1–4), 78–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02683401