Plutonium (Pu)
Radioactive! It powered the Curiosity rover on Mars.
Plutonium facts
- Symbol
- Pu
- Atomic number
- 94
- Atomic mass
- 244
- Family
- Actinides
- Period
- 7
- Group
- f-block (no group)
What does plutonium react with?
Plutonium makes a new substance with 8 other elements and chemicals in our lab:
- Plutonium + HydrogenPlutonium hydride Pu + H₂ → PuH₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + NitrogenPlutonium nitride 2Pu + N₂ → 2PuN · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + OxygenPlutonium(IV) oxide Pu + O₂ → PuO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + FluorinePlutonium(IV) fluoride Pu + 2F₂ → PuF₄ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + ChlorinePlutonium(III) chloride 2Pu + 3Cl₂ → 2PuCl₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + BrominePlutonium(III) bromide 2Pu + 3Br₂ → 2PuBr₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + IodinePlutonium(III) iodide 2Pu + 3I₂ → 2PuI₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Plutonium + Hydrochloric AcidPlutonium(III) chloride + hydrogen gas 2Pu + 6HCl → 2PuCl₃ + 3H₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
It also blends into a mixture, like an alloy, with 73 other metals when melted together.
Nothing happens when it's simply mixed with 17 of the others. 21 pairings have never been tried, because not enough atoms have ever existed.