GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -The Greek symbol ‘alpha’ and metallic ‘rays’ are representative of the element as a source of alpha radiation, and also the origin of its name. Actinium is a soft, silvery-white radioactive metal. It glows blue in the dark because its intense radioactivity excites the air around it.

Detailed explanation-2: -The word actinium comes from the Greek aktis, aktinos, meaning beam or ray. It is about 150 times as radioactive as radium, making it valuable as a neutron source. Otherwise it has no significant industrial applications.

Detailed explanation-3: -In general, actinides are very chemically active metals, and will react with air, water and acids, but not with bases. All actinides are radioactive and only thorium and uranium are commonly found in the Earth’s crust. Actinium itself glows in the dark and reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas.

Detailed explanation-4: -As a radioactive element, the primary use of actinium is as a source of radiation. It is also used to produce bismuth-213, a radioactive isotope used in radioimmunotherapy. Actinium-225 is sometimes used in cancer treatments and actinium-227 is sometimes used to study the movement of fluids in oceans.