Nuclear 101: Uranium's Atomic Structure

Welcome to the third segment of Nuclear: 101. In an attempt to explain nuclear physics to non-scientists**, I am going to start at a very basic level by explaining the atomic structure of uranium. 

Atoms are the building blocks of life and make up all matter. Inside each atom are three types of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons are positively charged and electrons negatively, thus their opposite charges attract one another and give the atom an overall neutral charge. The center of an atom is called the nucleus which is comprised of protons and neutrons. The positively charged protons naturally repel each other based on their similar charge. The neutrally charged neutrons act as a glue to hold the protons together, this is referred to as nuclear force. The electrons surround and orbit the nucleus. 

The element symbol for uranium is U. Each element is distinguished from another based on the composition of its atoms. The number of protons, neutrons, and electrons vary element to element. Each element is placed in numeric order on the Periodic Table of Elements. The atomic number of an element is based on the number of protons each one of its atoms has. For instance, uranium contains 92 protons and thus appears on the periodic table as atomic number 92. Uranium also has 92 electrons. Atomic mass is the weight of an atom and is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons that an atom has. The most common form of uranium has 146 neutrons in the nucleus, and thus uranium’s atomic mass number often appears as 238 on periodic tables.

                                        If interested, click here to watch a short video on atomic structure.

In the next segment I will discuss isotopes/radioisotopes and why uranium has radioactive properties.

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Sources:
Atomic Archive
How Stuff Works

**I have no formal training in nuclear physics and will gladly accept any and all feedback and will update this series accordingly with accepted corrections.