radioactive element used as fuel in nuclear reactors and as reducing agent in metallurgy. Silvery-white, it turns gray or black upon exposure to air. It is found in monazite, thorite, and thorianite. Much of the internal heat of Earth has been generated by thorium. It was discovered in 1828 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius.
|Group in periodic table||IIIb|
|Boiling point||ca. 8,654° F (4,790° C)|
|Melting point||ca. 3,344° F (1,840° C)|