Uranium is a actinide series, rare earth element denoted by the atomic symbol, U. It has an atomic number of 92 and the atomic weight of its isotopes is 238.0289. The element is a silvery-white, lustrous metal with a melting point of 3070° F (1132.3° C) and a boiling point of 6904° F (3818° C). Three naturally occurring isotopes of the element exist; uranium-238 is by far the most abundant (99.276%), followed by uranium-235 (0.718%) and uranium-234 (0.0056%). Another eleven isotopes, all radioactive, have been produced artificially. Uranium-238 and uranium-235 are the first members of radioactive decay families. Each isotope decays to produce a daughter isotope, which is also radioactive and that also decays to produce another daughter isotope. This process is repeated about a dozen times in each case until a stable isotope results.

Uranium has been said to be the metal that has changed the face of modern civilization. Evidence suggests...