Element 94 · Plutonium (Pu)

Plutonium Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell

The plutonium Bohr model shows a plutonium atom (Pu) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 7 shells: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q. This page has a rotating 3D plutonium Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.

Rotate the plutonium Bohr model in 3D

Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.

This is a Bohr model of plutonium (Pu), a simplified picture of a single plutonium atom. Its nucleus holds 94 protons, and a neutral plutonium atom has 94 electrons, arranged around it in 7 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q).

Pu K · 21s² L · 82s² 2p⁶ M · 183s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ N · 324s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ O · 245s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 5f⁶ P · 86s² 6p⁶ Q · 27s²

Plutonium Bohr model diagram

Bohr model diagram of plutonium: a nucleus of 94 protons with 94 electrons on 7 shells, 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q, each ring labelled with its shell letter. — The plutonium Bohr model drawn flat: each ring is a shell, labelled with its letter, and every dot is an electron (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q).

Plutonium electrons per shell

A neutral plutonium atom has 94 electrons, one for each of its 94 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q.

Electrons in each shell of the plutonium Bohr model
Shell	Shell number (n)	Electrons	Most it can hold (2n²)	Subshells
K	1	2	2	1s²
L	2	8	8	2s² 2p⁶
M	3	18	18	3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰
N	4	32	32	4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴
O	5	24	50	5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 5f⁶
P	6	8	72	6s² 6p⁶
Q	7	2	98	7s²

How the plutonium Bohr model builds up, shell by shell

Watch the plutonium Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q) as it forms.

Animation of the plutonium Bohr model being built: a nucleus of 94 protons appears first, then each shell grows in around it and takes its electrons, giving 94 electrons on 7 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q). — The plutonium Bohr model built up in six seconds: the nucleus first, then each shell with its electrons, ending with 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q. Protons are red, neutrons yellow and electrons blue.

How to draw the plutonium Bohr model

Find the atomic number. Plutonium has atomic number 94, so a neutral atom has 94 protons and 94 electrons.
Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write Pu in it. The 94 protons sit there with the neutrons.
Draw the shells. Sketch 7 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 24 in shell O, 8 in shell P and 2 in shell Q.
Check the total. 2 + 8 + 18 + 32 + 24 + 8 + 2 = 94, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.

Atomic data for the plutonium Bohr model

The numbers behind the plutonium Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Identity

Symbol: Pu
Atomic number: 94
Atomic mass: [244] u
Family: Actinides
Position: period 7 of the f-block
Block: f-block

Electron configuration

Full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p⁶ 7s² 5f⁶
Shorthand: [Rn] 5f⁶ 7s²
Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2
Outer-shell electrons: 2 in shell Q

Ionisation energies

I₁: 584.7

Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.

Atomic radii

Empirical (pm): 175
Covalent (pm): 172

Electronegativity and electron affinity

Electronegativity (Pauling): 1.28
Electron affinity (kJ/mol): -48.33

Oxidation states

Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.

Physical properties, abundance and history of plutonium

Bulk properties of plutonium, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.

Physical properties

Phase at room conditions: Solid
Appearance: Silvery white, tarnishing to dark gray in air
Melting point: 639.35°C (912.5 K)
Boiling point: 3231.85°C (3505 K)
Density: 19.816 g/cm³
Molar heat capacity (J/mol·K): 35.5
Heat of fusion (kJ/mol): 2.8
Heat of vaporisation (kJ/mol): 343.5

Discovery

Discovered by: Glenn T. Seaborg
Year: 1940

Common compounds

Plutonium Pu
Plutonium-238 Pu
Plutonium-239 Pu
Plutonium-240 Pu
Plutonium pentafluoride F5Pu
Nitric acid, plutonium salt HNO3Pu
Plutonium tetrafluoride F4Pu
Plutonium trifluoride F3Pu

Compounds listed in the PubChem database.

Main isotopes of plutonium

Isotopes of plutonium share the same 94 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.

Main isotopes of plutonium: mass number, abundance, half-life and decay
Mass number	Natural abundance	Half-life	Decay
238	–	87.7 y	α, SF, 32Si, 30Mg
239	–	24.11 ky	α, SF
240	–	6.561 ky	α, SF, 34Si
241	–	14.329 y	β⁻, α, SF
242	–	375 ky	α, SF
244	–	81.3 My	α, SF, 2β⁻

α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.

More about plutonium

Plutonium on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full plutonium page.
Actinides – all actinide elements and their trends.
Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.