Thorium

Thorium (Th)

Thorium is the 90th element in the periodic table and has a symbol of Th and atomic number of 90. It has an atomic weight of (232.0377) and a mass number of 232. Thorium has ninety protons and one hundred forty-two neutrons in its nucleus, and ninety electrons in seven shells. It is located in group Actinides, period seven and block f of the periodic table. Grey radioactive metallic element. Belongs to actinoids. Found in monazite sand in Brazil, India and the US. Thorium-232 has a half-life of 1.39x10^10 years. Can be used as a nuclear fuel for breeder reactors. Thorium-232 captures slow Neutrons and breeds uranium-233. Discovered by Jons J. Berzelius in 1829.
Atomic Number90
Atomic Weight232.0377
Mass Number232
Group
Period7
Blockf
Protons90 p+
Neutrons142 n0
Electrons90 e-
Animated Bohr Model of Th (Thorium)

Physical Properties

Atomic Radius
180 pm
Molar Volume
Covalent Radius
175 pm
Metallic Radius
Ionic Radius
94 pm
Crystal Radius
108 pm
Van der Waals Radius
245 pm
Density
11.7 g/cm³
Atomic Radii of the Elements: Thorium0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250pmAtomic RadiusCovalent RadiusMetallic RadiusVan der Waals Radius

Chemical Properties

Energy
Proton Affinity
Electron Affinity
Ionization Energy
Ionization Energies of Th (Thorium)
Heat of Vaporization
513.7 kJ/mol
Heat of Fusion
16.11 kJ/mol
Heat of Formation
602 kJ/mol
Electrons
Electron Shells2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 10, 2
Bohr Model: Th (Thorium)
Valence Electrons2
Lewis Structure: Th (Thorium)
Electron Configuration[Rn] 6d2 7s2
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p6 6d2 7s2
Enhanced Bohr Model of Th (Thorium)
Orbital Diagram of Th (Thorium)
Oxidation States-1, 1, 2, 3, 4
Electronegativity
1.3
Electrophilicity Index
States of Matter
PhaseSolid
Gas Phase
Boiling Point
5,058.15 K
Melting Point
2,023.15 K
Critical Pressure
Critical Temperature
Triple Point
Visual

Thorium is a Silver. Th has a CPK of #ff1493, Jmol of #00baff, and MOLCAS GV of #00baff. The Appearance of Element 90 is silvery, often with black tarnish.

Color
Silver
Appearancesilvery, often with black tarnish
Refractive Index
Thermodynamic Properties
Thermal Conductivity
Thermal Expansion
0.000011 1/K
Molar Heat Capacity
27.32 J/(mol K)
Specific Heat Capacity
0.118 J/(g⋅K)
Heat Capacity Ratio (Adiabatic Index)
Electrical Properties
TypeConductor
Electrical Conductivity
6.7 MS/m
Electrical Resistivity
0.00000015 m Ω
Superconducting Point
1.38 K
Magnetism
Typeparamagnetic
Magnetic Susceptibility (Mass)
0.0000000072 m³/Kg
Magnetic Susceptibility (Molar)
0.0000000017 m³/mol
Magnetic Susceptibility (Volume)
0.000084
Magnetic Ordering
Curie Point
Neel Point
Structure

The Crystal Structure of Thorium is FCC. The lattice constant of Th is 5.08 Å. The lattice angles of Element 90 are π/2, π/2, π/2.

Crystal StructureFace Centered Cubic (FCC)
Lattice Constant
5.08 Å
Lattice Anglesπ/2, π/2, π/2
Mechanical Properties

Thorium has a Brinell of 400 MPa, Mohs hardness of 3 MPa, and Vickers of 350 MPa. The Bulk Modulus of Th is 54 GPa. The Shear Modulus of Element 90 is 31 GPa. The Young Modulus of Thorium (Th) is 79 GPa. The Poisson Ratio of Thorium is 0.27. The Speed of Sound of Th is 2490 m/s.

Hardness
3 MPa
Bulk Modulus
54 GPa
Shear Modulus
31 GPa
Young's Modulus
79 GPa
Poisson Ratio
0.27
Speed of Sound
2,490 m/s
Classification

The Glawe Number of Thorium is 34. The Mendeleev Number of Th is 16. The Pettifor Number of Element 90 is 47. The Geochemical Class of Thorium (Th) is rare earth & related. The Goldschmidt Class of Thorium is litophile.

CategoryActinides, Actinides
CAS Group
IUPAC Group
Glawe Number34
Mendeleev Number16
Pettifor Number47
Geochemical Classrare earth & related
Goldschmidt Classlitophile

Other

The Dipole Polarizability of Thorium is 217 plus or minus 54 a₀. The Allotropes of Th is . The Neutron Cross Section of Element 90 is 7.4. The Neutron Mass Absorption of Thorium (Th) is 0.001. The Quantum Numbers of Thorium is 3F2. The Space Group of Th is 225 (Fm_3m).

Gas Basicity
Dipole Polarizability
217 ± 54 a₀
C6 Dispersion Coefficient
Allotropes
Neutron Cross Section
7.4
Neutron Mass Absorption
0.001
Quantum Numbers3F2
Space Group225 (Fm_3m)

Isotopes of Thorium

Stable Isotopes0
Unstable Isotopes32
Natural Isotopes2
Isotopic Composition23299.98%23299.98%2300.02%2300.02%

208Th

Mass Number208
Neutron Number118
Relative Atomic Mass
208.017915348 ± 0.000034208 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
2.4 ± 1.2 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year2010
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

209Th

Mass Number209
Neutron Number119
Relative Atomic Mass
209.017601 ± 0.000111 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year
Parity-

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

210Th

Mass Number210
Neutron Number120
Relative Atomic Mass
210.015093515 ± 0.000020299 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
16 ± 3.6 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1995
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

211Th

Mass Number211
Neutron Number121
Relative Atomic Mass
211.014896923 ± 0.000092399 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
48 ± 20 ms
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1995
Parity-

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

212Th

Mass Number212
Neutron Number122
Relative Atomic Mass
212.01300157 ± 0.000010852 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
31.7 ± 1.3 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1980
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

213Th

Mass Number213
Neutron Number123
Relative Atomic Mass
213.01301147 ± 0.000009895 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
144 ± 21 ms
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1968
Parity-

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

214Th

Mass Number214
Neutron Number124
Relative Atomic Mass
214.01148148 ± 0.000011445 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
87 ± 10 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1968
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

215Th

Mass Number215
Neutron Number125
Relative Atomic Mass
215.01172464 ± 0.0000068 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
1.35 ± 0.14 s
Spin1/2
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1968
Parity-

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

216Th

Mass Number216
Neutron Number126
Relative Atomic Mass
216.011055933 ± 0.00001192 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
26.28 ± 0.16 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1968
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

217Th

Mass Number217
Neutron Number127
Relative Atomic Mass
217.013103443 ± 0.000011394 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
248 ± 4 us
Spin9/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1968
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

218Th

Mass Number218
Neutron Number128
Relative Atomic Mass
218.013276248 ± 0.000011289 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
122 ± 5 ns
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1973
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

219Th

Mass Number219
Neutron Number129
Relative Atomic Mass
219.015526432 ± 0.000060611 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
1.023 ± 0.018 us
Spin9/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1973
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
β+ (β+ decay; β+ = ϵ + e+)

220Th

Mass Number220
Neutron Number130
Relative Atomic Mass
220.015769866 ± 0.000014693 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
10.2 ± 0.3 us
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1973
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
ϵ (electron capture)

221Th

Mass Number221
Neutron Number131
Relative Atomic Mass
221.018185757 ± 0.000008582 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
1.75 ± 0.02 ms
Spin7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1970
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

222Th

Mass Number222
Neutron Number132
Relative Atomic Mass
222.01846822 ± 0.000010966 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
2.24 ± 0.03 ms
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1970
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
ϵ (electron capture)

223Th

Mass Number223
Neutron Number133
Relative Atomic Mass
223.020811083 ± 0.000008527 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
600 ± 20 ms
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1952
Parity

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

224Th

Mass Number224
Neutron Number134
Relative Atomic Mass
224.021466137 ± 0.00001031 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
1.04 ± 0.02 s
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1949
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
+ (double β+ decay)

225Th

Mass Number225
Neutron Number135
Relative Atomic Mass
225.023950975 ± 0.000005467 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
8.75 ± 0.04 m
Spin3/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1949
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)90%
ϵ (electron capture)

226Th

Mass Number226
Neutron Number136
Relative Atomic Mass
226.024903699 ± 0.00000481 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
30.7 ± 0.03 m
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1948
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
18O3.2%

227Th

Mass Number227
Neutron Number137
Relative Atomic Mass
227.027702546 ± 0.000002241 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
18.693 ± 0.004 d
Spin1/2
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1906
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

228Th

Mass Number228
Neutron Number138
Relative Atomic Mass
228.028739741 ± 0.000001938 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
1.9125 ± 0.0007 y
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1905
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
20O1.13%

229Th

Mass Number229
Neutron Number139
Relative Atomic Mass
229.031761357 ± 0.000002581 Da
G-Factor
0.184 ± 0.016
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
7.916 ± 0.017 ky
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
3.11 ± 0.06
Discovery Year1947
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%

230Th

Mass Number230
Neutron Number140
Relative Atomic Mass
230.033132267 ± 0.000001297 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
0.02 ± 0.02
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
75.4 ± 0.3 ky
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1907
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
SF (spontaneous fission)4%
24Ne (heavy cluster emission)5.8%

231Th

Mass Number231
Neutron Number141
Relative Atomic Mass
231.036302764 ± 0.000001306 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
25.52 ± 0.01 h
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1911
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

232Th

Mass Number232
Neutron Number142
Relative Atomic Mass
232.038053606 ± 0.000001525 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
99.98 ± 0.02
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
14 ± 0.1 Gy
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1898
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
α (α emission)100%
SF (spontaneous fission)1.1%
26Ne2.78%
(double β decay)

233Th

Mass Number233
Neutron Number143
Relative Atomic Mass
233.041580126 ± 0.000001528 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
21.83 ± 0.04 m
Spin1/2
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1935
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

234Th

Mass Number234
Neutron Number144
Relative Atomic Mass
234.043599801 ± 0.000002779 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
24.107 ± 0.024 d
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1900
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%
α (α emission)

235Th

Mass Number235
Neutron Number145
Relative Atomic Mass
235.047255 ± 0.000014 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
7.2 ± 0.1 m
Spin1/2
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1969
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

236Th

Mass Number236
Neutron Number146
Relative Atomic Mass
236.049657 ± 0.000015 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
37.3 ± 1.5 m
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1973
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

237Th

Mass Number237
Neutron Number147
Relative Atomic Mass
237.053629 ± 0.000017 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
4.8 ± 0.5 m
Spin5/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year1993
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

238Th

Mass Number238
Neutron Number148
Relative Atomic Mass
238.056388 ± 0.000304 Da
G-Factor
0
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
9.4 ± 2 m
Spin0
Quadrupole Moment
0
Discovery Year1999
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)100%

239Th

Mass Number239
Neutron Number149
Relative Atomic Mass
239.060655 ± 0.000429 Da
G-Factor
Abundance
Radioactivity☢️ Radioactive
Half Life
Spin7/2
Quadrupole Moment
Discovery Year
Parity+

Decay ModeIntensity
β (β decay)
Thorium sample 0.1g

History

Thorium was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1828, in Stockholm, Sweden. Thorium was first observed to be radioactive in 1898, independently, by Polish-French physicist Marie Curie and German chemist Gerhard Carl Schmidt. The crystal bar process was discovered by Anton Eduard van Arkel and Jan Hendrik de Boer in 1925 to produce high-purity metallic thorium. Named after Thor, Scandinavian god of war

DiscoverersJöns Berzelius
Discovery LocationSweden
Discovery Year1828
Etymology (Name Origin)Named for Thor, Norse god of thunder.
PronunciationTHOR-i-em (English)
Thorium is highly radioactive
Thorium fuel research is continuing in several countries including the USA and India

Uses

Thorium is used to coat tungsten filaments in light bulbs. It is also used in its oxide form in gas tungsten arc welding to increase the high-temperature strength of tungsten electrodes and improve arc stability. Thorium-magnesium alloys are used in the aerospace industry for aircraft engines. Used in making strong alloys. Also in ultraviolet photoelectric cells. It is a common ingredient in high-quality lenses. Bombarded with neutrons make uranium-233, a nuclear fuel.

Sources

Found in various minerals like monazite and thorite.

Abundance
Abundance in Earth's crust
9.6 mg/kg
Natural Abundance (Oceans)
0.000001 mg/L
Natural Abundance (Human Body)
0 %
Natural Abundance (Meteor)
0.0000039 %
Natural Abundance (Sun)
0.00000003 %
Abundance in Universe
0.00000004 %

Nuclear Screening Constants

Also Known As

  • Th
  • element 90
  • 90Th

Translations

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  • Chinese (China)
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  • AromanianToriu
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  • Chinese (Macao SAR China)
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  • Maltesetorju
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  • cdoThorium
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  • AsturianTorio
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  • Literary Chinese
  • Sinhalaතෝරියම්
  • TagalogToryo
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  • Lingua Franca Novatorio
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  • oloTorii
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