Neptunium facts for kids

Neptunium ions in solution

Neptunium is a chemical element. It has the symbol Np on the periodic table. Its atomic number is 93. This means each neptunium atom has 93 protons and 93 electrons.

How Was Neptunium Discovered?

Neptunium was found in 1940. Two scientists, Edwin McMillan and Phillip H. Abelson, discovered it. They were working at the University of California, Berkeley. This made neptunium the first element found after Uranium.

What is Neptunium Like?

Neptunium is a shiny, silvery-metallic element. It is also radioactive, which means it gives off energy. It melts at 637 degrees Celsius. It boils at 4000 degrees Celsius.

Why is it Called Neptunium?

Neptunium is named after the planet Neptune. This is similar to how Uranium is named after the planet Uranus. Scientists often name new elements after planets.

Images for kids

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  This is a phase diagram of neptunium. It shows how it changes under different temperatures and pressures.

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  Dmitri Mendeleev's periodic table from 1871. It had an empty space where neptunium would later be placed.

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  Rhenium. For a long time, scientists thought element 93 would be similar to rhenium. This made finding neptunium very hard.

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  The 60-inch cyclotron at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in 1939. This machine helped discover neptunium.

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  Neptunium was discovered by Edwin McMillan (pictured) and Philip Abelson in 1940.

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  The planet Neptune, which neptunium is named after.

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  A flowchart showing the Purex process. This process is used to separate neptunium.

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  The structure of neptunocene.

See also

In Spanish: Neptunio para niños