Protactinium

Symbol: Pa

Atomic Number: 91

Atomic Weight: 231.05

Protactinium (atomic number 91) is a metal discovered by Oswald Gohring and Kasimir Fajans in 1913. It was only in 1934 when the element was first isolated. Protactinium-231 was discovered by John Cranston and Frederick Soddy and Lisa Meitner and Otto Hahn in 1918. This metal is found in uranium ores while its isotopes are present in uranium-238 and uranium-235. Protactinium is a rare metal that reacts with inorganic acids, water vapor, and oxygen. It is toxic, radioactive, and harmful for human health. Because protactinium is a rare element, it is not used for commercial purposes and only for scientific...Read More