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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 32 Fotos
Discovery
- In 1789, German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth discovered uranium.
© Getty Images
1 / 32 Fotos
Discovery
- Klaproth was examining the mineral pitchblende when unusual chemical reactions occurred. He realized that what he thought was pitchblende was, in fact, a new element he had discovered.
© Getty Images
2 / 32 Fotos
Name
- The new element was named by Klaproth in honor of the recently discovered planet Uranus.
© Getty Images
3 / 32 Fotos
Old
- Uranium, a substance with a long history, has been documented since 79 CE. At that time, uranium oxide was utilized as a coloring agent for glass and in ceramic glazes.
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
Glow
- Glass colored with uranium emits a glowing effect when exposed to black light.
© Getty Images
5 / 32 Fotos
Color of uranium
- Uranium is initially silver but it readily oxidizes upon contact with air.
© Getty Images
6 / 32 Fotos
Pure uranium
- French chemist Eugène-Melchior Péligot successfully obtained pure uranium in 1841 by heating uranium tetrachloride alongside potassium.
© Getty Images
7 / 32 Fotos
Radioactivity
- In 1896, French physicist Antoine H. Becquerel found that uranium was radioactive, after leaving a sample of it on top of an unexposed photographic plate. The plate became cloudy.
© Getty Images
8 / 32 Fotos
Radioactivity
- Marie Curie, a renowned scientist from Poland, introduced the term "radioactivity" after Becquerel's finding. She and her husband Pierre Curie, a French scientist, were pioneers in the study of radioactivity.
© Getty Images
9 / 32 Fotos
What is its origin?
- It’s believed that uranium was formed in a supernova about 6.6 billion years ago and made its way to Earth. The element’s slow radioactive decay is the main source of heat inside the planet.
© Getty Images
10 / 32 Fotos
Uranium outweighs silver
- Uranium ranks as the 48th most abundant element in the Earth's natural crust, being 40 times more abundant than silver.
© Getty Images
11 / 32 Fotos
Decay speed
- The decay rate of different types of uranium varies, with Uranium-238 having a half-life of 4.5 billion years and Uranium-234 having a half-life of 245,500 years.
© Getty Images
12 / 32 Fotos
Decay speed
- Uranium-214 stands out as it is man-made, with a brief half-life of just half a millisecond.
© Getty Images
13 / 32 Fotos
Uranium is not the most radioactive material
- Uranium has a comparatively low rate of decay, making it less radioactive. Surprisingly, polonium is the most radioactive element with a half-life of 138 days.
© Getty Images
14 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear fission
- However, this does not ensure enhanced safety in terms of explosive capability. This occurs due to the process of nuclear fission, in which a substantial amount of energy is liberated. Uranium-235, an alternate isotope of uranium, exemplifies this occurrence.
© Getty Images
15 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear bomb
- Nuclear fission serves as the fundamental principle behind atomic bombs. For instance, the bomb detonated in Hiroshima contained less than a kilogram of uranium, yet the resulting blast had a power equivalent to about 15 kilotons of TNT.
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear bomb
- Only a small fraction of the uranium in the bomb, a total of 1.38%, underwent fission. The "Little Boy" bomb contained 140 pounds (64 kg) of uranium in total.
© Getty Images
17 / 32 Fotos
Enriching uranium fission
- In order to increase the efficiency of uranium fission, it needs to be enriched, a process used in nuclear power plants to produce energy.
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
Depleted uranium
- The remaining material is depleted uranium, commonly utilized in items like bullets and tank armor. Depleted uranium possesses about half the radioactivity of natural uranium.
© Getty Images
19 / 32 Fotos
Solid uranium oxide
- Yellowcake refers to solid uranium oxide, appearing as a yellow powder. This form of uranium is commonly commercialized before undergoing the enrichment process.
© Getty Images
20 / 32 Fotos
Mines
- Uranium extraction takes place in 20 nations internationally. The primary providers are Kazakhstan, Namibia, Canada, Australia, Niger, and Russia.
© Getty Images
21 / 32 Fotos
We all come into contact with uranium in our daily lives
- We are all naturally exposed to minute amounts of uranium. Exposure happens through food, water, soil, and air, but this level of exposure is considered safe.
© Getty Images
22 / 32 Fotos
Who uses nuclear power?
- Approximately 10% of global electricity is produced through nuclear reactors. Examples include the US, which obtains about 20% of its electricity from nuclear sources, while Belgium, Sweden, and Ukraine generate 30% or more. France relies on nuclear reactors for over 70% of its electricity.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Radioisotopes
- Radioisotopes are isotopes of elements that are radioactive. They are characterized as “atoms that contain an unstable combination of neutrons and protons, or excess energy in their nucleus.”
© Getty Images
24 / 32 Fotos
Additional applications for nuclear power
- Artificially-produced radioisotopes have been utilized since the 1950s, resulting in significant impact on various aspects of our lives.
© Getty Images
25 / 32 Fotos
Healthcare
- Radioisotopes are commonly used in diagnostics and research. A prime example is radiation therapy, an effective cancer treatment that employs radioisotopes. Gamma radiation is used to sterilize a wide range of medical instruments.
© Getty Images
26 / 32 Fotos
Cuisine
- Radioisotopes are also used in the preservation of food, from killing pests to controlling the ripening of fruit and vegetables.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Agriculture and animals
- Radioisotopes play a valuable role in agriculture and livestock breeding. They help create disease-resistant crops and enhance resilience against adverse weather conditions.
© Getty Images
28 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- Uranium is used to generate energy and it's sold to countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT allows international inspection to verify the uranium usage has peaceful intentions.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Disarmament
- After a widespread nuclear disarmament in the 1990s, a significant amount of uranium that was originally intended for military purposes became accessible for generating electricity.
© Getty Images
30 / 32 Fotos
Disarmament
- According to the World Nuclear Association, "over two decades to 2013 one-tenth of US electricity was made from Russian weapons uranium." Sources: (World Nuclear Association) (Live Science) (Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) See also: Nuclear threat: the most radioactive places on earth
© Getty Images
31 / 32 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 32 Fotos
Discovery
- In 1789, German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth discovered uranium.
© Getty Images
1 / 32 Fotos
Discovery
- Klaproth was examining the mineral pitchblende when unusual chemical reactions occurred. He realized that what he thought was pitchblende was, in fact, a new element he had discovered.
© Getty Images
2 / 32 Fotos
Name
- The new element was named by Klaproth in honor of the recently discovered planet Uranus.
© Getty Images
3 / 32 Fotos
Old
- Uranium, a substance with a long history, has been documented since 79 CE. At that time, uranium oxide was utilized as a coloring agent for glass and in ceramic glazes.
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
Glow
- Glass colored with uranium emits a glowing effect when exposed to black light.
© Getty Images
5 / 32 Fotos
Color of uranium
- Uranium is initially silver but it readily oxidizes upon contact with air.
© Getty Images
6 / 32 Fotos
Pure uranium
- French chemist Eugène-Melchior Péligot successfully obtained pure uranium in 1841 by heating uranium tetrachloride alongside potassium.
© Getty Images
7 / 32 Fotos
Radioactivity
- In 1896, French physicist Antoine H. Becquerel found that uranium was radioactive, after leaving a sample of it on top of an unexposed photographic plate. The plate became cloudy.
© Getty Images
8 / 32 Fotos
Radioactivity
- Marie Curie, a renowned scientist from Poland, introduced the term "radioactivity" after Becquerel's finding. She and her husband Pierre Curie, a French scientist, were pioneers in the study of radioactivity.
© Getty Images
9 / 32 Fotos
What is its origin?
- It’s believed that uranium was formed in a supernova about 6.6 billion years ago and made its way to Earth. The element’s slow radioactive decay is the main source of heat inside the planet.
© Getty Images
10 / 32 Fotos
Uranium outweighs silver
- Uranium ranks as the 48th most abundant element in the Earth's natural crust, being 40 times more abundant than silver.
© Getty Images
11 / 32 Fotos
Decay speed
- The decay rate of different types of uranium varies, with Uranium-238 having a half-life of 4.5 billion years and Uranium-234 having a half-life of 245,500 years.
© Getty Images
12 / 32 Fotos
Decay speed
- Uranium-214 stands out as it is man-made, with a brief half-life of just half a millisecond.
© Getty Images
13 / 32 Fotos
Uranium is not the most radioactive material
- Uranium has a comparatively low rate of decay, making it less radioactive. Surprisingly, polonium is the most radioactive element with a half-life of 138 days.
© Getty Images
14 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear fission
- However, this does not ensure enhanced safety in terms of explosive capability. This occurs due to the process of nuclear fission, in which a substantial amount of energy is liberated. Uranium-235, an alternate isotope of uranium, exemplifies this occurrence.
© Getty Images
15 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear bomb
- Nuclear fission serves as the fundamental principle behind atomic bombs. For instance, the bomb detonated in Hiroshima contained less than a kilogram of uranium, yet the resulting blast had a power equivalent to about 15 kilotons of TNT.
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear bomb
- Only a small fraction of the uranium in the bomb, a total of 1.38%, underwent fission. The "Little Boy" bomb contained 140 pounds (64 kg) of uranium in total.
© Getty Images
17 / 32 Fotos
Enriching uranium fission
- In order to increase the efficiency of uranium fission, it needs to be enriched, a process used in nuclear power plants to produce energy.
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
Depleted uranium
- The remaining material is depleted uranium, commonly utilized in items like bullets and tank armor. Depleted uranium possesses about half the radioactivity of natural uranium.
© Getty Images
19 / 32 Fotos
Solid uranium oxide
- Yellowcake refers to solid uranium oxide, appearing as a yellow powder. This form of uranium is commonly commercialized before undergoing the enrichment process.
© Getty Images
20 / 32 Fotos
Mines
- Uranium extraction takes place in 20 nations internationally. The primary providers are Kazakhstan, Namibia, Canada, Australia, Niger, and Russia.
© Getty Images
21 / 32 Fotos
We all come into contact with uranium in our daily lives
- We are all naturally exposed to minute amounts of uranium. Exposure happens through food, water, soil, and air, but this level of exposure is considered safe.
© Getty Images
22 / 32 Fotos
Who uses nuclear power?
- Approximately 10% of global electricity is produced through nuclear reactors. Examples include the US, which obtains about 20% of its electricity from nuclear sources, while Belgium, Sweden, and Ukraine generate 30% or more. France relies on nuclear reactors for over 70% of its electricity.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Radioisotopes
- Radioisotopes are isotopes of elements that are radioactive. They are characterized as “atoms that contain an unstable combination of neutrons and protons, or excess energy in their nucleus.”
© Getty Images
24 / 32 Fotos
Additional applications for nuclear power
- Artificially-produced radioisotopes have been utilized since the 1950s, resulting in significant impact on various aspects of our lives.
© Getty Images
25 / 32 Fotos
Healthcare
- Radioisotopes are commonly used in diagnostics and research. A prime example is radiation therapy, an effective cancer treatment that employs radioisotopes. Gamma radiation is used to sterilize a wide range of medical instruments.
© Getty Images
26 / 32 Fotos
Cuisine
- Radioisotopes are also used in the preservation of food, from killing pests to controlling the ripening of fruit and vegetables.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Agriculture and animals
- Radioisotopes play a valuable role in agriculture and livestock breeding. They help create disease-resistant crops and enhance resilience against adverse weather conditions.
© Getty Images
28 / 32 Fotos
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- Uranium is used to generate energy and it's sold to countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT allows international inspection to verify the uranium usage has peaceful intentions.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Disarmament
- After a widespread nuclear disarmament in the 1990s, a significant amount of uranium that was originally intended for military purposes became accessible for generating electricity.
© Getty Images
30 / 32 Fotos
Disarmament
- According to the World Nuclear Association, "over two decades to 2013 one-tenth of US electricity was made from Russian weapons uranium." Sources: (World Nuclear Association) (Live Science) (Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) See also: Nuclear threat: the most radioactive places on earth
© Getty Images
31 / 32 Fotos
Read up on these radioactive facts about uranium
What is it, and how exactly does it work?
© Shutterstock
Uranium, a fundamental chemical element, is used to produce energy that illuminates cities and powers industries worldwide. Yet, its shadowy side emerges in the context of weapons of mass destruction, particularly in the wake of conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, as the threat of nuclear weapons looms.
Dive into our gallery to discover lesser-known facts about uranium.
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