Thorium By John de Saint Phalle

Table of contents Who discovered thorium Where does thorium come from Properties of thorium Uses of thorium

Who Discovered It? Swedish chemist named Jons Jakob “J.J.” Berzelius discovers thorium in 1828 Berzelius named the new element after the ancient Scandinavian god of thunder and weather: Thor Thorium was later discovered to be radioactive by Marie Curie in 1898

Where Does Thorium Come From? Thorium is a natural occurring metal that in found in low levels of water, soil and rock Thorium can be found in most plants and animals because they drink the water, and they live on the soil and rock It can also be found in certain minerals such as monazite and thorite

Properties of Thorium Soft, silvery-white metal Is able to remain shiny for months when in the open air Soluble in water Highly radioactive Has a half-life of 75,400 years

Uses of Thorium Has coloring properties and is used in ceramic glazes Most commonly used in lanterns because of the bright light it omits when heated Used in welding rods to make them burn better Used to improve properties of ophthalmolic lenses

Atomic Structure Atomic Number90 Atomic Weight No. of Electrons Shells7 Periodic Chart GroupActinide (Group IIIb) ClassificationRare Earth Physical Properties Symbol:Th Melting Point: o C Boiling Point: o C 293 K:11.72 g/cm 3 Electrical resistivity15E-8 Siemens Velocity of Sound2490 m/s Appearancesoft, ductile, lustrous, silvery-white CAS Registry Number:

Bibliography J.D. Cox, DD., Wagman, and V.A. Medvedev, CODATA Key Values for Thermodynamics, Hemisphere Publishing Corp., New York, USA, “Thorium.” CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 15 December (15 January 2007).