Is Thorium Named After Thor?

In 1815, for example, Berzelius

Berzelius
Berzelius is credited with discovering the chemical elements cerium and selenium and with being the first to isolate silicon and thorium. Berzelius discovered cerium in 1803 and selenium in 1817. Berzelius discovered how to isolate silicon in 1824, and thorium in 1824.
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isolated a new element from a mineral sent to him from the Swedish mining town of Falun and named it thorium after the Scandinavian god of thunder, Thor.

Why is thorium named after Thor?

Thorium was discovered in 1828 by the Norwegian amateur mineralogist Morten Thrane Esmark and identified by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who named it after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. ... In the second half of the century, thorium was replaced in many uses due to concerns about its radioactivity.

Where does thorium come from?

Thorium is mainly mined in Australia, Canada, the United States, Russia and India, according to Minerals Education Coalition. Trace levels of thorium are found in rocks, soil, water, plants and animals, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.