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Photonics Dictionary

actinide

The actinides are a series of 15 chemical elements in the periodic table, with atomic numbers from 89 to 103. They are named after actinium, the first element in the series.

Elements: The actinide series includes the following elements: actinium (Ac), thorium (Th), protactinium (Pa), uranium (U), neptunium (Np), plutonium (Pu), americium (Am), curium (Cm), berkelium (Bk), californium (Cf), einsteinium (Es), fermium (Fm), mendelevium (Md), nobelium (No), and lawrencium (Lr).

Properties:

Radioactivity: All actinides are radioactive. The heavier actinides are particularly unstable and have short half-lives.

Metallic characteristics: They are typically soft, dense metals with high melting points.

Electron configuration: Actinides have electrons filling their 5f orbitals, which leads to complex electron configurations and a wide range of oxidation states.

Applications:

Nuclear energy: Uranium and plutonium are widely used as fuel in nuclear reactors and in nuclear weapons.

Medical and industrial uses: Certain actinides are used in radiation therapy for cancer, as well as in smoke detectors and other devices.

Chemistry: Actinides tend to form compounds with a variety of elements, exhibiting multiple oxidation states, typically +3, +4, +5, and +6. Their chemistry is complex due to the involvement of 5f electrons.

Toxicity and handling: Due to their radioactivity, actinides can be highly toxic and require careful handling and specific safety measures to protect against radiation exposure.

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