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The heaviest naturally occurring element is?
A. Gold
B. Uranium
C. Lead
D. Iron
Correct Answer Is Option = Uranium
Notes / Explanation
The heaviest naturally occurring element is uranium, which has the heaviest atoms of all the elements that are found in significant amounts in nature. The chemical elements differ in the mass of their atoms, and they are arranged in order according to their atomic number, which increases from the lightest element to the heaviest. Among the elements that occur naturally in significant amounts, uranium is the heaviest, having the highest atomic number of the naturally occurring elements, so that its atoms are the heaviest. Uranium is a metal, and it is notable above all for being radioactive, meaning that its atoms are unstable and break down over time, giving off radiation and energy in the process. This property of radioactivity makes uranium a very important element, for the energy that can be released from the breaking down of its atoms is enormous, and uranium is used as the fuel in nuclear power stations, where the energy released from its atoms is used to generate electricity, and it has also been used in the making of extremely powerful weapons. The energy locked within the atoms of uranium is far greater, for a given amount, than the energy that can be obtained from ordinary fuels, which is why nuclear energy is so powerful. However, the radioactivity of uranium also makes it dangerous, for the radiation it gives off is harmful to living things, so that it must be handled with great care and its use is carefully controlled. Beyond uranium, there are elements that are heavier still, but these do not occur naturally in significant amounts and are instead made artificially in laboratories, and they are generally very unstable, so that uranium is regarded as the heaviest of the naturally occurring elements. The study of the elements, including the heaviest, and their properties, such as the radioactivity of uranium, is a part of chemistry. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the heaviest naturally occurring element is uranium, that it has the heaviest atoms of the elements found in significant amounts in nature, that it is a radioactive metal, meaning that its atoms are unstable and break down, giving off radiation and energy, and that because of the enormous energy that can be released from its atoms it is used as the fuel in nuclear power stations, though its radioactivity also makes it dangerous and requires that it be handled with great care.
