Pu (Noun)
Meaning
A solid silvery grey radioactive transuranic element whose atoms can be split when bombarded with neutrons; found in minute quantities in uranium ores but is usually synthesized in nuclear reactors; 13 isotopes are known with the most important being plutonium 239.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Pu is a highly reactive and radioactive element that requires special handling and storage.
- The reactor was designed to produce a small amount of pu as a byproduct of the nuclear reaction.
- Scientists have been studying the properties of pu to better understand its potential uses and risks.
- The extraction of pu from uranium ore is a complex and costly process.
- The half-life of pu-239 is approximately 24,100 years, making it a long-lived radioactive isotope.