Definition:Uranium

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Chemical Element

Uranium is the chemical element that has $92$ protons in the nuclei of its atoms.


Its chemical symbol is $\text U$.


Isotopes

U-$238$

Uranium-$238$ is the isotope of uranium which has $146$ neutrons in addition to its $92$ protons.

U-$238$ is radioactive, with a half-life of approximately $4.5 \times 10^9$ years.


Linguistic Note

The word uranium derives from the name of the planet Uranus, which had been discovered $8$ years before the element had been believed to have been extracted from its ore.