Element 94

Plutonium (Pu)

Actinide · Period 7 · f-block

Plutonium (Pu) is element 94 of the periodic table, a actinide in period 7 (f-block) with an atomic mass of 244 and is a solid at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
94
Symbol
Pu
Atomic mass
244 u
Category
Actinides
Period
7
Block
f-block
Phase at STP
solid

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 6p6 5f6 7s2
Shorthand configuration
[Rn] 5f6 7s2
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2
Oxidation states
+2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7, +8

Physical properties

Melting point
912.5 K
Boiling point
3501 K
Density
19.84 g/cm3
Phase
solid

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
1.28
Atomic radius
159 pm
Covalent radius
187 pm
First ionization energy
585 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
53 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
Pu-244244.0642Half-life 80.8 million years

Common uses

  • Nuclear weapons
  • Nuclear power
  • Spacecraft power

Discovery

Year
1940
Discovered by
Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, Joseph W. Kennedy, Arthur Wahl
Country
USA

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