Plutonium

Plutonium is a radioactive element that was discovered in 1940 by scientist Leo Szilard and chemist James Graham. It has atomic number 94 and belongs to the actinide group, which means it is one of the heaviest elements on the periodic table. The name of the element comes from the Latin word "pluto", which means "lord of the underground depths" or "god of the underworld" in ancient Greek myths.

In nature, plutonium is formed from nuclear reactions occurring in stars such as the Sun and other stars, as well as from supernova explosions. Currently, plutonium is mined from ores mined from various deposits around the world. The main component of the ore is the mineral uraninite, from which plutonium is obtained. Uraninite is commonly found in uranium deposits, which is why plutonium is called "reduced uranium"