Definition

Uranium was discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin Klaproth when he was analyzing samples of silver mineral from the Czech mines of Joachimsal, and it was named in honor of the planet Uranus.

In a pure state it is a whitish silvery metal, although it is rarely used in this form. It is the oxides that are normally used, and the most stable of these is U3O8. The main uranium ore is pitchblende, or what is called black oxide.