Quick answerPlutonium (Pu) is an actinide with atomic number 94 and a mass number of 244 (the most stable isotope), in period 7. It was discovered by Seaborg, Wahl, Kennedy, and McMillan in 1940. It is used for deep-space probe power and nuclear fuel. Its electron configuration is [Rn] 5f6 7s2.
Plutonium is the man-made element that powers deep-space probes like Voyager, far beyond the Sun's reach.
Key facts
| Symbol | Pu |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 94 |
| Atomic mass | [244] — mass number of the most stable isotope |
| Category | actinide |
| Group | — (f-block element, no group number) |
| Period | 7 |
| Block | f-block |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f6 7s2 |
| Discovered | Seaborg, Wahl, Kennedy, and McMillan, 1940 |
| Uses | deep-space probe power, nuclear fuel, nuclear weapons, heat sources, research |
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Actinium (Ac) — another actinide, atomic number 89
- Thorium (Th) — another actinide, atomic number 90
- Protactinium (Pa) — another actinide, atomic number 91
- Uranium (U) — another actinide, atomic number 92
- Neptunium (Np) — another actinide, atomic number 93
- Americium (Am) — another actinide, atomic number 95
- Curium (Cm) — another actinide, atomic number 96
- Berkelium (Bk) — another actinide, atomic number 97
- Californium (Cf) — another actinide, atomic number 98
- Einsteinium (Es) — another actinide, atomic number 99
- All actinide elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.