List of Radioactive Elements

If you are looking for a list of radioactive elements, there are numerous lists available for you online. Elements that would be found on such a list are those that meet the definition of "radioactive," which the dictionary defines as:

"giving off, or capable of giving off, radiant energy in the form of particles or rays, as alpha, beta, and gamma rays, by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei: said of certain elements, as plutonium, radium, thorium, and uranium, and their products."

Below is a list of radioactive elements that meet this definition.

Radioactive isotopes have been responsible for both positive and negative changes in human history. Such elements can be grouped into those that occur in nature and those that must be produced. A complete listing of radioactive elements would include each of these radioactive isotopes, whether they are naturally occurring or man-made.

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Elements

There are 15 naturally occurring radioactive isotopes throughout the table, according to the listing provided at Sea Friends.org. This list indicates that naturally occurring radioactive elements include:

1.  Rubidium
2.  Thorium
3.  Uranium (238)
4.  Potassium
5.  Uranium (235)
6.  Iodine
7.  Technetium
8.  Uranium
9.  Plutonium
10.  Carbon
11.  Radium
12.  Radon
13.  Polonium
14.  Calcium
15.  Argon

According to the Sea Friends.org website, some of these radioactive elements that are naturally-occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere are caused by or experience a reaction that occurs when they are exposed to natural sunlight. The reactions of some of these elements to sunlight are responsible for scientist’s ability to date the ages of different things like rocks, other natural substances, and human-made artifacts and creations.

Carbon, for instance, is one of the most common occurring elements on Earth and "carbon dating" is a popular scientific process. Carbon is generally considered to be part of the basis of life, meaning that without its presence, life cannot exist.

You can find a complete listing of the naturally occurring radioactive elements from the periodic table at Periodic Table.com. This website provides:

• Brief descriptions of each element
• Brief history of how the elements are made
• Information on whether or not any traces of the elements are believed to still exist
• Pictures of the radioactive elements that can physically be photographed

Radioactive Elements and Science

Some radioactive isotopes have been created through human scientific research, while other naturally occurring elements are either used for research, produced for research or studied in some manner. The formation of nuclear weaponry, for example, involves the creation, or synthesis, of nuclear or radioactive elements.

A list of radioactive elements that are commonly used by, or made by, humans for research include:

1.   Chlorine
2.   Carbon
3.   Cesium
4.   Strontium
5.   Tritium
6.   Cobalt (60
7.   Iron (55)
8.   Sodium (22)
9.   Manganese
10.   Cobalt (57)
11.   Zinc
12.   Calcium
13.   Tin
14.   Sulfur
15.   Iodine (125)
16.   Iron (59)
17.   Chromium
18.   Phosphorus
19.   Iodine (131)
20.   Gold
21.   Bromine
22.   Sodium (24)
23.   Copper
24.   Potassium
25.   Nitrogen
26.   Oxygen

Though many of these elements are naturally occurring in either the atmosphere or the earth’s makeup, human scientists have altered some of them to use them in different radioactive research projects to test them for different uses. 

Radioactive Energy and Bombs

Those interested in a list of radioactive elements may also be interested in a list of radioactive elements commonly caused by reactors or bombs:

1. Plutonium (238)
2. Neptunium
3. Cesium
4. Ruthenium
5. Strontium
6. Iodine
7. Xenon
8. Tellurium

So, now you have a list of radioactive elements and you understand more about which elements are most commonly used in science.