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Thorium. By John de Saint Phalle. Table of contents. Who discovered thorium Where does thorium come from Properties of thorium Uses of thorium. Who Discovered It?. Swedish chemist named Jons Jakob “J.J.” Berzelius discovers thorium in 1828
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Thorium By John de Saint Phalle
Table of contents • Who discovered thorium • Where does thorium come from • Properties of thorium • Uses of thorium
Who Discovered It? • Swedish chemist named Jons Jakob “J.J.” Berzelius discovers thorium in 1828 • Berzelius named the new element after the ancient Scandinavian god of thunder and weather: Thor • Thorium was later discovered to be radioactive by Marie Curie in 1898
Where Does Thorium Come From? • Thorium is a natural occurring metal that in found in low levels of water, soil and rock • Thorium can be found in most plants and animals because they drink the water, and they live on the soil and rock • It can also be found in certain minerals such as monazite and thorite
Properties of Thorium • Soft, silvery-white metal • Is able to remain shiny for months when in the open air • Soluble in water • Highly radioactive • Has a half-life of 75,400 years
Uses of Thorium • Has coloring properties and is used in ceramic glazes • Most commonly used in lanterns because of the bright light it omits when heated • Used in welding rods to make them burn better • Used to improve properties of ophthalmolic lenses
Bibliography • J.D. Cox, DD., Wagman, and V.A. Medvedev, CODATA Key Values for Thermodynamics, Hemisphere Publishing Corp., New York, USA, 1989. • “Thorium.” CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 15 December 2003. <http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/90.html>(15 January 2007).