T h e A c t i n i d e s

T H E A C T I N I D E S A R E D E N S E , R A D I O A C T I V E M E TA L S , M A N Y O F W H I C H A R E U N S TA B L E , A N D T H E M A J O R I T Y O F W H I C H A R E M A D E S Y N T H E T I C A L LY

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103

Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Actinium Thorium Protactinium Uranium Neptunium Plutonium Americium Curium Berkelium Californium Einsteinium Fermium Mendelevium Nobelium Lawrencium

DATES OF DISCOVERY OF THE ACTINIDES NATURALLY ABUNDANT SYNTHETICALLY PRODUCED

1820 Th U Ac Pa Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md Nb Lr 1970
1829 1841 1899 1930 1940 1944 1949 1950 1952 1955 1958 1961

T H E AC T I NI DE S A L L F O R M URANIUM & CURIUM

A C T I N I D E S N A M E D A F T E R FA M O U S S C I E N T I S T S
STABLE +3 IONS PLUTONIUM MARIE CURIE
WON NOBEL PRIZE FOR WORK ON RADIOACTIVITY &
A L S O DI S COVE R E D P O LONI UM A ND R A DI UM

BERKELIUM IS THE A R E U S E D FO R
EINSTEINIUM
RAREST NUCLEAR POWER

Bk
ALBERT EINSTEIN
DEVELOPED GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY & WON
N AT U R A L LY T HO R I UM C A N FO R M
NOBEL PRIZE FOR WORK ON PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT

OCCURRING
ELEMENT
MORE COVALENT BONDS
THAN ANY OTHER ELEMENT
14 FERMIUM
ENRICO FERMI
WON NOBEL PRIZE FOR WORK ON RADIOACTIVITY &
( NO MO R E T HA N A F E W ATOM S AT ALSO CONSTRUCTED THE FIRST NUCLEAR REACTOR
A T I M E I N U R A N I U M D E P O S I T S )
T HO R I UM I S A MENDELEVIUM
DMITRI MENDELEEV
U3+ U4+ U5+ U6+ PYROPHORIC CREATED THE MODERN PERIODIC TABLE & USED IT TO
PREDICT PROPERTIES OF UNDISCOVERED ELEMENTS
Th ELEMENT
S O ME A C T I N I DE S HAV E ( I G N I T E S S P O N TA N E O U S LY I N A I R ) NOBELIUM
OXI DAT I O N S TAT E S ALFRED NOBEL
CURIUM IS SO THE INVENTOR OF DYNAMITE, & LEFT HIS FORTUNE
AFTER HIS DEATH TO FOUND THE NOBEL PRIZES
O F VA R Y I N G C O L O U R S
RADIOACTIVE LAWRENCIUM
T HAT I T
Cm
Pu3+ Pu4+ Pu5+ Pu6+ Pu7+ ERNEST LAWRENCE
GLOWS PURPLE WON A NOBEL PRIZE FOR THE INVENTION OF THE
CYCLOTRON, A TYPE OF PARTICLE ACCELERATOR

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