Nuclear+Reactions

= Nuclear Reactions: Fission and Fusion =

= Fission =

//What is fission?//
//YouTube clip 41 seconds//

YouTube explanation 3 minutes

Process in Nuclear Power Plants

The Element Uranium

Other isotopes such as uranium-232 have been produced in breeder reactors. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of **three** major isotopes:
 * 1) uranium-238 ( ** 99.2739 ** - 99.2752% natural abundance),
 * 2) uranium-235 (0.7198 - 0.7202%), and
 * 3) uranium-234 (0.0050 - 0.0059%).

The Hiroshima Syndrome (on Uranium)

More on Uranium

Section below is from: @http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/laboratory/nuclear/power/fission/fissile.asp?callNumber=14276&SubcallNumber=0&color=&unit=2 The heavy transuranic elements uranium and plutonium are fissile. ||
 * [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/images/clear_dot.gif width="30" height="30" align="bottom"]] || [|Intro] | [|Process] | [|Products] | **Fissile Isoptoes** | [|Fertile Isotopes] ||
 * || Although many heavy nuclei can be induced to fission by high energy neutrons, some can be made to split by neutrons with low kinetic energy. Isotopes that can sustain a chain reaction through fissions induced by thermal (slow) neutrons are **fissile** . ||
 * || [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/media/science/diagrams/physics/nuclide-chart/perTable_fissile-elements.gif width="550" height="291"]]
 * || [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/media/science/diagrams/physics/nuclide-chart/perTable_fissile-elements.gif width="550" height="291"]]
 * || [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/media/science/diagrams/physics/nuclide-chart/perTable_fissile-elements.gif width="550" height="291"]]
 * || The important fissile isotopes are: ||
 * || * uranium-233 (233U): produced (bred) from thorium-232 by neutron capture;
 * //uranium-235 (235U)// : naturally-occurring isotope of uranium that comprises only 0.7 % of all uranium;
 * plutonium-239 (239Pu): bred from uranium-238 by neutron capture; and
 * plutonium-241 (241Pu): bred from plutonium-240 by neutron capture. ||
 * || To reiterate, uranium-235 is the only naturally-occurring fissile element and it comprises only 0.7 % of natural uranium. ||
 * || [|Intro] | [|Process] | [|Products] | **Fissile Isoptoes** | [|Fertile Isotopes] ||
 * || [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/images/GEOL3650_top.gif link="http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/laboratory/nuclear/power/fission/fissile.asp?callNumber=14276&SubcallNumber=0&color=&unit=2#top"]] ||
 * || [ Lab Listing | [|Nuclear II: Choosing a Reactor Design & Fuel Cycle] ] ||
 * || Copyright @ 2010 J.D. Myers ||
 * || [[image:http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/images/GEOL3650_top.gif link="http://www.gg.uwyo.edu/content/laboratory/nuclear/power/fission/fissile.asp?callNumber=14276&SubcallNumber=0&color=&unit=2#top"]] ||
 * || [ Lab Listing | [|Nuclear II: Choosing a Reactor Design & Fuel Cycle] ] ||
 * || Copyright @ 2010 J.D. Myers ||
 * || Copyright @ 2010 J.D. Myers ||
 * || Copyright @ 2010 J.D. Myers ||

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