Thorium (Th)
"The Thunder God, a potential hero for a new age of safer nuclear energy."
A memorable persona to anchor Th in your mind.
11.72
Grams per cm³
1750
Celsius (°C)
237
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Thorium is found in the mantle in an old gas-powered camping lantern.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1828
Discovered By
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Origin of Name
"Thorium is named after Thor, the Scandinavian god of war."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
232.038 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
4785°C
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 6d27s2
1st Ionization Energy
6.08 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Thorium is a weakly radioactive, silvery metal."
Did You Know?
It is named after Thor, the powerful hammer-wielding god of thunder in Norse mythology.
Thorium is being extensively researched as a potentially safer and more abundant alternative to uranium as a fuel for nuclear power plants.
Old gas camping lanterns used a 'mantle' containing thorium dioxide, which would glow with a bright white light when heated by a flame.
High-quality camera lenses made in the mid-20th century often contained thorium oxide to increase their refractive index, but these lenses are slightly radioactive.