• Skip to page content
• Skip to ad free user log in
• Skip to site menu on this page

Periodic Table of Elements

Element Plutonium – Pu

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Plutonium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Plutonium. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one studies. Using the "Periodic Table of Elements Quick Navigation" graphic at the bottom of the sidebar menu, one can quickly jump from chemical element to chemical element.

Plutonium Menu

• Plutonium Page One
  • Overview of Plutonium
  • Plutonium's Name in Other Languages
  • Atomic Structure of Plutonium
  • Chemical Properties of Plutonium
  • Physical Properties of Plutonium
  • Regulatory / Health
  • Who/When/Where/How
• Plutonium Page Two
  • Nuclides / Isotopes
  • Potential Parent Nuclides

Overview of Plutonium

Plutonium's Name in Other Languages

• Latin: Plutonium
• Czech: Plutonium
• Croatian: Plutonij
• French: Plutonium
• German: Plutonium - s
• Italian: Plutonio
• Norwegian: Plutonium
• Portuguese: Plutônio
• Russian:
• Spanish: Plutonio
• Swedish: Plutonium

Atomic Structure of Plutonium

• Atomic Radius:
• Atomic Volume: 12.32cm³/mol
• Covalent Radius:
• Cross Section (Thermal Neutron Capture) _a/barns: 1017.3
• Crystal Structure: Monoclinic

  

• Electron Configuration:

  1s² 2s²p⁶ 3s²p⁶d¹⁰ 4s²p⁶d¹⁰f¹⁴ 5s²p⁶d¹⁰f⁶ 6s²p⁶ 7s²

• Electrons per Energy Level: 2,8,18,32,24,8,2

  Shell Model
  

• Ionic Radius: 0.887Å
• Filling Orbital: 5f⁶
• Number of Electrons (with no charge): 94
• Number of Neutrons (most common/stable nuclide): 150
• Number of Protons: 94
• Oxidation States: 6,5,4,3
• Valence Electrons: 5f⁶ 7s²

  Electron Dot Model
  

Chemical Properties of Plutonium

• Electrochemical Equivalent: 2.2765g/amp-hr
• Electron Work Function:
• Electronegativity: 1.28 (Pauling); 1.22 (Allrod Rochow)
• Heat of Fusion: 2.84kJ/mol
• Incompatibilities:

• Ionization Potential
  • First: 6.06
• Valence Electron Potential (-eV): 64.9

Physical Properties of Plutonium

• Atomic Mass Average: 244.0642
• Boiling Point: 3503K 3230°C 5846°F
• Coefficient of lineal thermal expansion/K^-1: 55E^-6
• Conductivity

  Electrical: 0.00666 10⁶/cm
  Thermal: 0.0674 W/cmK

• Density: 19.84g/cc @ 300K
• Description:

  A radioactive silvery metal that occurs naturally in uranium ores in minute amounts.

• Elastic Modulus:
  • Rigidity: 43/GPa
  • Youngs: 96/GPa
• Enthalpy of Atomization: 360 kJ/mole @ 25°C
• Enthalpy of Fusion: 2.82 kJ/mole
• Enthalpy of Vaporization: 344 kJ/mole
• Flammablity Class:
• Freezing Point: see melting point
• Heat of Vaporization: 344kJ/mol
• Melting Point: 913K 640°C 1184°F
  
• Molar Volume: 12.32 cm³/mole
• Physical State (at 20°C & 1atm): Solid
• Specific Heat: 0.13J/gK

Regulatory / Health

• CAS Number
  • 7440-07-5
• NFPA 704
  • Health:
  • Fire:
  • Reactivity:
  • Special Hazard: Radioactive
  <
  • OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
    • No limits set by NIOSH
  • Levels In Humans:
    Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
    • Blood/mg dm^-3: nil
    • Bone/p.p.m: nil
    • Liver/p.p.m: nil
    • Muscle/p.p.m: nil
    • Daily Dietary Intake: nil
    • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: nil

  Who / Where / When / How

  • Discoverer: G.T.Seaborg, A.C.Wohl and J.W.Kennedy
  • Discovery Location: Berkeley California United States
  • Discovery Year: 1940
  • Name Origin:

    From planet Pluto.

  • Abundance of Plutonium:
    • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: N/A
    • Seawater/p.p.m.: nil
    • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
    • Sun (Relative to H=1E¹²): N/A
  • Sources of Plutonium:

    Found rarely in some uranium ores. Made by bombarding uranium with neutrons. Annual world wide production is around 20 tons. World reserves are around 500 tons.

  • Uses of Plutonium:

    Used in bombs and power reactors.

  • Additional Notes:

    Most people will not normally encounter plutonium outside of a laboratory or the nuclear industry. Plutonium is highly toxic because of its radioactivity. In 1970 Dr. Darleane C. Hoffman discovered traces of naturally occuring primordial plutonium-244 in Precambrian bastnasite from Mountain Pass, Califorina, USA.

    Aditional references sources for this element:

    • D. C. Hoffman, F. O. Lawrence, J. L. Mewherter & F. M. Rourke, "Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature", Nature 234, 132 - 134 (19 November 1971), Available at: http://www.nature.com/nature/
      journal/v234/n5325/abs/234132a0.html
    • Los Alamos Summer 1983, "Darleane Christian Hoffman", accessed online 8/1/2006 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/
      doe/lanl/pubs/00285788.pdf
    • Lynn Yarris, "Chemists Award Darleane Hoffman Highest Honor in Their Field", Science Beat, Berkeley Labs, 6/19/2000, Accessed on line 8/1/2006 at: http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/
      Archive/hoffman-priestley.html

  [Last update: 2/22/2007]

  Plutonium Menu

  • Plutonium Page One
    • Overview of Plutonium
    • Plutonium's Name in Other Languages
    • Atomic Structure of Plutonium
    • Chemical Properties of Plutonium
    • Physical Properties of Plutonium
    • Regulatory / Health
    • Who/When/Where/How
  • Plutonium Page Two
    • Nuclides / Isotopes
    • Potential Parent Nuclides

  Related Resources

  • Anatomy of the Atom
    Answers many questions regarding the structure of atoms.
  • Molarity, Molality and Normality
    Introduces stoichiometry and explains the differences between molarity, molality and normality.
  • Molar Mass Calculations and Javascript Calculator
    Molar mass calculations are explained and there is a JavaScript calculator to aid calculations.
  • Chemical Database
    This database focuses on the most common chemical compounds used in the home and industry.

  Citing this page

  If you need to cite this page, you can copy this text:

  Kenneth Barbalace. Periodic Table of Elements - Plutonium – Pu. EnvironmentalChemistry.com. 1995 - 2009. Accessed on-line: 7/4/2009
  http://EnvironmentalChemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Pu.html
  .

  Linking to this page

  If you would like to link to this page from your website, blog, etc., copy and paste this link code (in red) and modify it to suit your needs:

  <a href="http://EnvironmentalChemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Pu.html"> Periodic Table of Elements: Plutonium – Pu (EnvironmentalChemistry.com)</a> - Comprehensive information for the element Plutonium – Pu is provided by this page including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides and technical terms are linked to their definitions.
  .

  NOTICE: While linking to articles is encouraged, OUR ARTICLES MAY NOT BE COPIED TO OR REPUBLISHED ON ANOTHER WEBSITE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

  PLEASE, if you like an article we published simply link to it on our website do not republish it.