Actinide series

Actinide Series

The Actinide series (pronounced as /ækˈtɪnaɪd/) is a series of chemical elements on the periodic table. They are the 15 sequential elements with atomic numbers 89 to 103, actinium through lawrencium. The series is named after actinium, the first element in the series, and a member of the group of radioactive elements.

Etymology

The term "Actinide" comes from the first element in the series, Actinium. The suffix "-ide" is used to denote that the elements in the series are related. The term was first used in the early 20th century.

Elements in the Actinide Series

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)
• Lawrencium (Lr)

Properties

The Actinide series is characterized by its radioactivity. All Actinides are radioactive and release energy upon radioactive decay; this makes them useful in certain applications, such as in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. However, their radioactivity also poses risks, such as radiation sickness and environmental contamination.

Related Terms

• Periodic Table
• Radioactivity
• Nuclear Reactor
• Nuclear Weapon
• Radiation Sickness
• Environmental Contamination

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Actinide series
• Wikipedia's article - Actinide series

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