Definitions for Thorium
ˈθɔr i əm, ˈθoʊr-tho·ri·um

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. thorium, Th, atomic number 90noun

   a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. thoriumnoun

   a chemical element (symbol Th) with atomic number 90.

2. Etymology: After Thor.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Thorium

   Thorium is a weakly radioactive metallic chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. Thorium is silvery and tarnishes black when it is exposed to air, forming thorium dioxide; it is moderately soft and malleable and has a high melting point. Thorium is an electropositive actinide whose chemistry is dominated by the +4 oxidation state; it is quite reactive and can ignite in air when finely divided. All known thorium isotopes are unstable. The most stable isotope, 232Th, has a half-life of 14.05 billion years, or about the age of the universe; it decays very slowly via alpha decay, starting a decay chain named the thorium series that ends at stable 208Pb. On Earth, thorium and uranium are the only significantly radioactive elements that still occur naturally in large quantities as primordial elements. Thorium is estimated to be over three times as abundant as uranium in the Earth's crust, and is chiefly refined from monazite sands as a by-product of extracting rare-earth metals. Thorium was discovered in 1828 by the Norwegian amateur mineralogist Morten Thrane Esmark and identified by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who named it after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Its first applications were developed in the late 19th century. Thorium's radioactivity was widely acknowledged during the first decades of the 20th century. In the second half of the century, thorium was replaced in many uses due to concerns about its radioactivity. Thorium is still being used as an alloying element in TIG welding electrodes but is slowly being replaced in the field with different compositions. It was also material in high-end optics and scientific instrumentation, used in some broadcast vacuum tubes, and as the light source in gas mantles, but these uses have become marginal. It has been suggested as a replacement for uranium as nuclear fuel in nuclear reactors, and several thorium reactors have been built. Thorium is also used in strengthening magnesium, coating tungsten wire in electrical equipment, controlling the grain size of tungsten in electric lamps, high-temperature crucibles, and glasses including camera and scientific instrument lenses. Other uses for thorium include heat-resistant ceramics, aircraft engines, and in light bulbs. Ocean science has utilised 231Pa/230Th isotope ratios to understand the ancient ocean.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. thorium

   Thorium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It's a naturally occurring element, found in small amounts in most rocks and soils. Named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, Thorium is notable for its high melting point and potential as a source of nuclear power. Most Thorium is refined to be used as a nuclear fuel source, primarily in experimental reactors, due to its ability to sustain nuclear chain reaction.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Thoriumnoun

   a metallic element found in certain rare minerals, as thorite, pyrochlore, monazite, etc., and isolated as an infusible gray metallic powder which burns in the air and forms thoria; -- formerly called also thorinum. Symbol Th. Atomic weight 232.0

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Thorium

   Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 by the Norwegian mineralogist Morten Thrane Esmark and identified by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Thorium produces a radioactive gas, radon-220, as one of its decay products. Secondary decay products of thorium include radium and actinium. In nature, virtually all thorium is found as thorium-232, which undergoes alpha decay with a half-life of about 14.05 billion years. Other isotopes of thorium are short-lived intermediates in the decay chains of higher elements, and only found in trace amounts. Thorium is estimated to be about three to four times more abundant than uranium in the Earth's crust, and is chiefly refined from monazite sands as a by-product of extracting rare earth metals. Thorium was once commonly used as the light source in gas mantles and as an alloying material, but these applications have declined due to concerns about its radioactivity. Thorium is also used as an alloying element in nonconsumable TIG welding electrodes. Canada, China, Germany, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States have experimented with using thorium as a substitute nuclear fuel in nuclear reactors. When compared to uranium, there is a growing interest in developing a thorium fuel cycle due to its greater safety benefits, absence of non-fertile isotopes and its higher occurrence and availability. India's three stage nuclear power programme is possibly the most well known and well funded of such efforts.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Thorium

   thō′ri-um, n. a rare metal resembling aluminium, but taking fire below a red heat, and burning with great brilliancy.—Also Thorī′num.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Thorium

   Thorium. A radioactive element of the actinide series of metals. It has an atomic symbol Th, atomic number 90, and atomic weight 232.04. It is used as fuel in nuclear reactors to produce fissionable uranium isotopes. Because of its radioopacity, various thorium compounds are used to facilitate visualization in roentgenography.

How to pronounce Thorium?

1. Alex

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   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

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   Mia

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   Karen

   Australian

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How to say Thorium in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Thorium in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Thorium in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Thorium
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Thorium
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Thorium
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Thorium
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Thorium