Plutonium

**Symbol:** Pu
 * Plutonium **

**Group:** 3

**Period:** 7

**Discovered in** 1940 by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, Joseph Kennedy and Arthur Wahl

**At room temperature:** solid

**Colour:** silvery white **Atomic Number:** 94

**Mass:** 244


 * Atomic Details **
 * Particle || Number ||
 * Protons || 94 ||
 * Electrons || 94 ||
 * Neutrons || 150 ||

**Boiling point(****Liquid to Gas):** 3228 degrees Celsius

**Melting point(Solid to Liquid):** 639.4 degrees Celsius


 * Plutonium is a metal **


 * Interesting Information and Facts About Plutonium: **
 * Unlike most substances, Plutonium increases in density as it melts.It increases by about 2.5%.


 * Plutonium is toxic and accumulate in bone marrow. Inhalation of plutonium increases the risk of lung cancer, although there are many people who have inhaled substantial amounts of plutonium yet did not develop lung cancer. Inhaled plutonium is said to have a metallic taste.


 * Plutonium is used in radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which are used to power spacecraft. This is used by NASA.


 * Plutonium is used as an explosive in nuclear weapons. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equal to that produced by approximately 20,000 tons of chemical explosive. One kilogram of plutonium is equivalent to 22 million kilowatt hours of heat energy, so plutonium is important for nuclear power.
 * Plutonium was discovered about the same time that the planet Pluto was discovered and so that's how it got its name.