#uranium

• Actinide — A metallic and radioactive chemical element belonging to the actinide (or actinoid) series, a stabilized structural group of 15 heavy elements located in the periodic table from actinium (atomic number 89) to lawrencium (atomic number 103). All these elements belong to the 'f' block (5f series) of transition metals, characterized by high nuclear instability, high density, and electrochemical properties closely correlated with those of actinium.
• Actinides — Plural form for the neuter noun 'actinid'; a homogeneous structural group in the periodic table consisting of 15 metallic and radioactive chemical elements, with atomic numbers ranging from 89 (actinium) to 103 (lawrencium). Located in the 'f' block of transition elements in the 7th period, they exhibit similar chemical properties due to the progressive filling of the 5f electron subshell, being recognized for their high density, substantial nuclear instability, and capacity to undergo fission.
• Actinoid — The official systematic name recommended by IUPAC for any chemical element within the actinide series, encompassing the 15 metallic and radioactive elements with atomic numbers from 89 (actinium) to 103 (lawrencium). As an adjective, it describes a chemical behavior or atomic structure resembling that of actinium, characterized by the progressive filling of the 5f electron subshell, very high density, and electrochemical properties specific to heavy metals.
• Americium — A synthetic, highly radioactive chemical element of the actinide series, with atomic number 95 and symbol Am. This silver-colored structural transuranium metal, originally obtained by bombarding plutonium with neutrons, is utilized in precision industrial applications, such as household smoke detectors and alpha radiation sources for laboratory analyses.
• Americium — A variant graphical form or unadapted direct borrowing from English or Latin for the radioactive transuranium chemical element with atomic number 95, named in standard Romanian 'americiu'. It sometimes appears in imported technical papers, international databases, or commercial chemical catalogs to indicate the atomic structure Am of the actinide series.
• Autunite — A mineral from the phosphate class, hydrated uranium and calcium phosphate, with the chemical formula Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O, featuring a brilliant greenish-yellow color; it is a highly radioactive mineral that fluoresces under ultraviolet light, historically discovered in the Autun region (France) and used as a secondary uranium ore.