Thursday/ Iran’s plutonium

Plutonium 094was made in the laboratory by bombarding uranium with deuterons (an isotope of hydrogen consisting of a proton and a neutron), and named after the (then-) planet Pluto.  So it is an artificial element, and there is likely no plutonium on Pluto. Uranium is the last of the natural elements (atomic number 92) in the periodic table.  When the historic Iran Nuclear Deal was announced this week, uranium and plutonium was in the news.   Here is the New York Times’s simple guide to the terms of the deal.

twopaths-big
An atomic bomb can be made from two types of radioactive materials: uranium or plutonium. So the agreement with Iran (to prevent them from making atomic bombs) takes both these methods into account.

2 Replies to “Thursday/ Iran’s plutonium”

  1. Hi there,

    I am after the wall chart you got this picture from any ideas where I can find one?

    My science teacher had one in are class room and gave it to me when I left school, brothers being brothers lost it.

    Regards,

    Jake

    1. hi Jake,
      Unfortunately I don’t know where you can find a wall chart. 🙁
      The picture of the element Plutonium is from an old Time-Life book called ‘The Elements’.

      regards,
      Willem

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