Plutonium is a radioactive actinide whose isotopes serve in nuclear energy, weapons, and long-lived spacecraft power sources.
Atomic number
94
Category
Actinide
Period
7
Group
f-block
State
Solid
Fun facts about Plutonium
It has several allotropes with markedly different crystal structures.
Plutonium-239 is fissile, while plutonium-238 is valued for decay heat.
Safe handling requires rigorous control of contamination and criticality.
Common uses of Plutonium
Nuclear fuel
Radioisotope spacecraft power
Nuclear weapons
Where Plutonium sits in the periodic table
Plutonium belongs to the actinide series in period 7 and the f-block of the periodic table. Under the conditions represented in this reference, its state is solid.
Quick chemistry revision
For quick revision, pair the symbol Pu with atomic number 94 and the listed atomic mass [244]. The summary, facts, and uses above keep those element properties together in one reference.