Which element has the highest atomic number and is the heaviest naturally occurring element?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Uranium (U).
· Uranium (U), with an atomic number of 92, is the heaviest naturally occurring element. It is also the element with the highest atomic number found in nature in appreciable amounts.
· Uranium is widely used as fuel in nuclear reactors due to its radioactive properties, particularly the isotope U-235, which undergoes fission to release large amounts of energy.
· Other elements like plutonium (Pu) and neptunium (Np) are heavier, but they are not naturally occurring in significant amounts and are generally synthesized in nuclear reactors or laboratories.
Information Booster:
· Thorium (Th): Atomic number 90, another naturally occurring radioactive element, is used as a potential nuclear fuel in thorium reactors.
· Plutonium (Pu): Atomic number 94, a synthetic element that is primarily produced from uranium in reactors and is used in nuclear weapons and reactors.
· Neptunium (Np): Atomic number 93, also a synthetic element, produced during uranium reactions, and not found naturally in significant amounts.