Uranium is one of
the most unstable elements known to man. In fact, uranium is so active that it is
nearly impossible to purify. Uranium will cling tightly to any impurities. If
you were to leave an element of uranium by itself, it would break down into an atom of a
different element. Because of the rate that elements 84-91 break apart, they would
all have broken down into other elements and be removed from the face of the Earth if
uranium and thorium weren't constantly breaking down into these elements. In very
rare occasions, to uranium atoms will collide as they break apart. The result is a
plutonium atom. Uranium atoms break apart very slowly. In fact, it takes over
10,000,000,000 years to break up a single ounce of uranium.
Uranium was discovered by Dr. Klaproth in the
year 1789. It was discovered in the mineral pitchblende, and named after the newly
discovered planet Uranus. Over the years, Uranium was not studied much until
radioactivity was discovered in it in 1896. Suddenly, all of the chemists were
interested in the 92nd element. Scientists discovered that uranium will grow yellow
when it is exposed to ultraviolet light. After several scientists died after
handling uranium, a chemist realized that the gamma rays that uranium gave off had the
highest frequency of any other type of wave. Even now, scientists have yet to
discover more powerful waves than gamma rays.
