Quite a bit shorter today..... (I
can hear all of the Avenger jokes and comments now...)
Thorium is a source of nuclear power. There is probably more untapped energy available for use from thorium in the minerals of the earth's crust than from combined uranium and fossil fuel sources. Much of the internal heat the earth has been attributed to thorium and uranium.
When pure, thorium is ...a silvery white metal which is air-stable and retains its lustre for several months. When contaminated with the oxide, thorium slowly tarnishes in air, becoming grey and finally black. Thorium oxide has a melting point of 3300°C, the highest of all oxides. Only a few elements, such as tungsten, and a few compounds, such as tantalum carbide, have higher melting points.
Thorium is slowly attacked by water, but does not dissolve readily in most common acids, except hydrochloric. Powdered thorium metal is often pyrophoric (will combust in the presence of air) and should be carefully handled. When heated in air, thorium turnings ignite and burn brilliantly with a white light.
Thorium is named for Thor, the Scandinavian god of war. It is found in thorite and thorianite in New England (USA) and other sites.
Name: Thorium
Symbol: Th
Atomic number: 90
Atomic weight: 232.03806 (2) [see note g]
Standard state: solid at 298 K
CAS Registry ID: 7440-29-1
Group in periodic table:
Group name: Actinoid
Period in periodic table: 7 (actinoid)
Block in periodic table: f-block
Color: silvery white
Classification: Metallic
Historical information
Thorium was discovered by Jöns Berzelius at 1829 in Sweden, given to him by the Reverend Thrane Esmark. Named after "Thor" the mythological Scandinavian god of war and thunder. (NOT the Avenger)
Physical properties
Melting point: 2115 [or 1750 °C (3182 °F)] K
Boiling point: 5093 [or 4820 °C (8708 °F)] K
Density of solid: 11724 kg m-3
Orbital properties
Ground state electron configuration: [Rn].6d2.7s2
Shell structure: 2.8.18.32.18.10.2
Term symbol: 3F2
Pauling electronegativity: 1.3 (Pauling units)
First ionisation energy: 587 kJ mol-1
Second ionisation energy: 1110 kJ mol-1
Thorium is a source of nuclear power. There is probably more untapped energy available for use from thorium in the minerals of the earth's crust than from combined uranium and fossil fuel sources. Much of the internal heat the earth has been attributed to thorium and uranium.
When pure, thorium is ...a silvery white metal which is air-stable and retains its lustre for several months. When contaminated with the oxide, thorium slowly tarnishes in air, becoming grey and finally black. Thorium oxide has a melting point of 3300°C, the highest of all oxides. Only a few elements, such as tungsten, and a few compounds, such as tantalum carbide, have higher melting points.
Thorium is slowly attacked by water, but does not dissolve readily in most common acids, except hydrochloric. Powdered thorium metal is often pyrophoric (will combust in the presence of air) and should be carefully handled. When heated in air, thorium turnings ignite and burn brilliantly with a white light.
Thorium is named for Thor, the Scandinavian god of war. It is found in thorite and thorianite in New England (USA) and other sites.
Name: Thorium
Symbol: Th
Atomic number: 90
Atomic weight: 232.03806 (2) [see note g]
Standard state: solid at 298 K
CAS Registry ID: 7440-29-1
Group in periodic table:
Group name: Actinoid
Period in periodic table: 7 (actinoid)
Block in periodic table: f-block
Color: silvery white
Classification: Metallic
Historical information
Thorium was discovered by Jöns Berzelius at 1829 in Sweden, given to him by the Reverend Thrane Esmark. Named after "Thor" the mythological Scandinavian god of war and thunder. (NOT the Avenger)
Physical properties
Melting point: 2115 [or 1750 °C (3182 °F)] K
Boiling point: 5093 [or 4820 °C (8708 °F)] K
Density of solid: 11724 kg m-3
Orbital properties
Ground state electron configuration: [Rn].6d2.7s2
Shell structure: 2.8.18.32.18.10.2
Term symbol: 3F2
Pauling electronegativity: 1.3 (Pauling units)
First ionisation energy: 587 kJ mol-1
Second ionisation energy: 1110 kJ mol-1
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