Promethium (Noun)
Meaning
A soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group having no stable isotope; was discovered in radioactive form as a fission product of uranium.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The newly discovered element was later named promethium and added to the periodic table of elements.
- The rare earth metal promethium has been used in phosphors, a fluorescent powder used in televisions and computer screens.
- As a result of nuclear reactions, small amounts of promethium can be produced as a fission product of uranium.
- In nuclear reactors, promethium is formed when uranium-235 undergoes fission, producing the highly radioactive promethium-147 isotope.
- Because of its radioactivity, handling promethium requires special precautions and equipment to minimize exposure to radiation.