Uranium
An Internet Hotlist on Uranium

created by Marissamasania09
Marymount High School

Introduction | Brief Descriptions of Uranium | Uranium as a Nuclear Weapon | Uranium in the Enviornment | Detailed Facts About the Different Aspects of Uranium | The Isotopes and Compounds of Uranium


Introduction
 - Atomic Number: 92
- Atomic Mass: 238.0289 amu
- Symbol: U
- Melting Point: 1132 C
- Boiling point: 3818 C
- Number of Protons/Electrons: 92
- Number of Neutrons: 146
- Crystal Structure: Orthorhombic
- Density: 1895 g/cm (3)
- Color: Silverish
- Standard State: Solid
- Group: Rare Earth Metals/ Actinides
- Discovered: 1789 by Martin Henrich Klaproth in Berlin. Eugene-Melchior Peligot isolated Uranium in 1841. In 1896, Antoine Becquerel discovered the radioactivity of Uranium.
- Uranium was first used in 79 BC to add yellow in ceramic glazes. Glass containing Uranium was found in the Bay of Naples.
- Toxicity: None
- Characteristics- Radioactive
- Uses- Nuclear reactor fuel
- Number of Isotopes: 3
- Over 16% of the world’s electricity is generated from uranium in nuclear reactors
- Mining- Uranium can be mined underground or open-cut methods. After mining, the Uranium ore is crushed and ground up. It is then treated with acid to dissolve the Uranium. The end product is Uranium Oxide.
- Canada produces about one third of the total uranium in the world

Image from http://web1.caryacademy.org/chemistry/rushin/StudentProjects/ElementWebSites/uranium/images/home.bmp



The Internet Resources

Uranium as a Nuclear Weapon
Uranium-Basic Info - This website is short and to the point. It describes all of the physical properties of Uranium. This website shows a picture of the atomic structure of Uranium.. There is also a chart that shows the isotopes or Uranium and their half-lives. This webpage also contains links to other websites about Uranium. This website wasn't very helpful Rating-3
Uranium-Chemi Cool - The chemi-cool website about Uranium, touches on the basics about Uranium. This website describes the appearance, and states of Uranium. It then further goes on to describe the energies of Uranium such as the ionization levels, and heat atomization. Uranium's conductivity, radius, and abundance are also described in this website. Rating- 4.5
Uranium-Edu - This website is very short, and contains little information. There is a small amount of the physical properties of Uranium listed. It very briefly describes, Uranium's discovery, an its ancient uses. There is one sentence that describes where Uranium can be found in nature. And a small paragraph about uranium's use in nuclear weapons. Overall, this website was very unhelpful. Rating-3
Uranium-Education - Similarly to the other websites, this website also lists the basic characteristics of Uranium. This website mostly focuses on the history or Uranium. Uranium was named for the planet Uranus. The body of this website describes how Martin Heinrich Klaproth, a German chemist discovered Uranium in 1789. Martin Heinrich actually discovered UO(2). A French chemist, Eugene Melchoir Peligot, actually isolated Uranium. The radioactivity and chemical properties are later described on this website. Uranium, which is a dense metal, has its main uses in the nuclear power industry. Other uses of uranium are also described. Rating-5
Uranium-Quick Facts - This website has many topics with a description below each one. This website focuses on Uranium from a more scientific view. There isn't so much information about the physical properties as there are on other websites. This website puts emphasis on the fissionability, radioactivity, the uses of Uranium. Also, this website compares information about uranium from different sources. The facts on this webpage, are simple and easy to read. Rating-6
Uranium-Web Elements - Web elements, contains the basic info of Uranium. The information on this website is very brief but to the point. It describes the physical characteristics of uranium like the color, boiling point, and group it belongs to on the periodic table. There is also a clear picture as to what uranium looks like. Web elements further goes on to explain the fluorescent effect that Uranium has when it is used to make products such as glass. When glass products are made form Uranium, it usually produces a green or yellow effect when it is mixed with other substances. This website is very brief Rating-6
Uranium-gov. - This website reveals the physical properties, history, isotopes, properties, uses, and handling of Uranium. The history of Uranium, is very briefly described. While the sources of Uranium is very descriptive and helpful. The uses of Uranium are detailed and this section also describes the uses of the different isotopes of Uranium. Finally the handling of Uranium is very short. This section is very to the point. Rating-6.5

Uranium in the Enviornment
Uranium-Cartoon - This website opens up with a cartoon. There are simple bullet points that describe the main characteristics of Uranium: who discovered, when it was discovered, and other physical properties. The uranium atom is also described, this section focuses on the isotopes of Uranium. 'The heat created by splitting the U-235 atoms is then used to make steam which spins a turbine to drive a generator, producing electricity.' ('What is Uranium'). The way in which uranium ore is made into reactor fuel is described in detail. There is a large section about nuclear power, and which countries use nuclear power. Then this website further goes on to explain which countries mine Uranium, and the cost of Uranium, which varies in different parts of the world. The radioisotopes of Uranium are described and the uses of it are described, Uranium radioisotopes are used in medicine, preservation of food, crops, livestock, industry, smoke detectors, and military weapons. Rating-7
Uranium-Lenntech - This website explains the properties of Uranium, the health effects of Uranium and the environmental effects of Uranium. The section, properties, lists the main physical properties, like atomic number, atomic mass, boiling point, melting point, density, atomic radius etc. The Health effects of uranium section talks about the amount of Uranium in air soil, and water. This section further goes to explain, how people can ingest Uranium. Whether it is from being near hazardous waste sites, mines, phosphate industry, eating crops grown on contaminated soil, or artists that use uranium for glasswork. The final section about Uranium on this website talks about Uranium in the environment. This section reveals that Uranium cannot be found by itself in nature. The section, Sources, explains, about the abundance of Uranium and the minerals in which uranium occurs. There is also a small picture in this section. The section, Uses is also very detailed. This section explains the uses of Uranium along with the uses of Uranium isotopes. The website concludes with a small paragraph about the handling of Uranium. This section describes the fire hazard of uranium metal, the damage of too much uranium being inhaled, and finally, the health concerns with radiation in soil. Rating-7.5
Uranium-Radio Chemistry - This website contains four main topics about Uranium. The main physical properties, the sources of uranium, uranium isotopes, uses of uranium, and the handling of Uranium. The Uranium Isotopes section, goes the most in depth out of the other sections. This website describes the uses of Uranium in X-rays, guidance devices, photography and many other field. There is also a section that describes the dangers of uranium. Rating- 5.5

Detailed Facts About the Different Aspects of Uranium
Uranium-Enviornmental - This website, contains a variety of information about Uranium. There is a good picture of the electron configuration in an uranium atom. Many of the chemical properties and physical properties of uranium are listed. There is very detailed information about how uranium effects the body. All of the information o this website is straightforward and to the point. This website I believe contains most of the important aspects of uranium. Rating-9
Uranium-Radiation Information - This website is written by the U.S Environmental protection agency. Therefore it focuses on Uranium in the environment. There are fifteen small paragraphs that describe the different topics of Uranium: such as the discovery of Uranium, the uses, uranium in the environment, and the health risks of Uranium etc. The main topics of this website focus on, Uranium in the environment, how uranium effects peoples health, and how people can protect themselves from Uranium. The website describes how 99% of the Uranium that enters the body will leave the body while that 1% will be absorbed into the body. How Uranium effects people's health is also described. Large quantities of Uranium can damage the kidneys, cause cancer, and blood disease. The most common types diseases caused by Uranium are leukemia, liver caner and lung cancer. This website is helpful, if you are focused on Uranium from a health and environmental prospective. Rating 7.5
Uranium-Wikipedia - Wikipedia has a variety of information on Uranium. It has the basic characteristics of Uranium: appearance, atomic number, and chemical symbol. On wikipedia, it explains the isotopes of uranium. It further goes on to explain, the first uses of Uranium, which was in 79 BC. This website also explains the uses or Uranium in society today. It further goes on to talk about Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who is credited with the discovery of Uranium. Wikipedia also discusses the use of uranium in bombs, and as to which wars the uranium bombs were used in. Finally, this website talks about the hazards of Uranium which includes lung cancer and pulmonary disease. This website is very helpful- Rating 9
Uranium-Yahoo! - The Yahoo! webpage about Uranium, covers different aspects of this element. There are four main sections: Properties, isotopes and Radioactive decay, Natural Occurrence and processing, and discovery and uses. In the first section, properties, it talks about the appearance, and chemical reactivity of Uranium. The Isotopes and Radioactive Decay section goes on to describe the different types of Isotopes and their half-lives. In the section titled Natural occurrence and Processing, it describes the natural abundance of Uranium in the Earth's crust. This section also talks about the compounds of Uranium that are found in nature. The last section of this website, Discovery and uses, goes on to reveal the scientists who discovered the different forms of Uranium. Lastly, the website concludes to describe the importance of Uranium in nuclear energy. Rating-7

The Isotopes and Compounds of Uranium
Uranium and Its Compounds - This website contains a great deal of information about uranium and its compounds. There are four main sections, what is Uranium, Chemical Forms of Uranium, Properties of Uranium Compounds, Radioactivity and radiation, and finally Uranium Health effects. each on of these topics has subtopics within them. Each one of the main topics is very detailed, and covers every aspect. This information was overall helpful Rating-8
created by Filamentality Content by Marissamasania09
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listuraniumma.html
Last revised Fri Feb 9 10:20:39 US/Pacific 2007