Which of the following elements is not radioactive?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Zirconium
A radioactive element has unstable nuclei that break down on their own, giving out radiation. The four elements:
Radium — radioactive; discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898.
Plutonium — radioactive; a man-made element used as nuclear fuel and in nuclear weapons.
Zirconium — not radioactive; a hard, corrosion-resistant metal. Because it hardly absorbs neutrons, it is used to make the tubes that hold the fuel in nuclear reactors.
Uranium — radioactive; the main fuel of nuclear power stations.