| Origin of Name |
After Pluto, which was once a planet |
| Date of Discovery |
In 1940 at the
Los Alamos National Laboratory in California |
| Discovered by |
Glenn Theodore Seaborg,
Joseph W. Kennedy, Edward M. McMillan and Arthur C. Wohl |
| Common Compounds |
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| Interesting facts |
- It is found in uranium ores.
- It has been called the most complex metal and a physicist's dream but an engineer's
nightmare.
- It is very sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure, or chemistry.
- It is usually alloyed with small amounts of gallium.
- Seaborg chose "Pu" for the symbol as a joke and it appeared on the periodic
table without any questioning.
- They thought about naming it ultinium or extremium, because they thought
they had found the last element.
- While working on the Manhattan
Project, scientists studied the effects of plutonium on laboratory animals and human subjects
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| Common Uses |
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