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No, Plutonium works too.
Also in nuclear reactors (but not bombs) almost all transuranic elements work. Example, Americium makes good reactor fuel.
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When uranium will blast?
Uranium will blast only when a mass of enriched uranium attain the critical mass.
Does a critical mass of uranium require enriched uranium?
No. Heavy Water moderated reactors like the CANDU type can go critical and run on natural (0.72%) Uranium just fine.
How can uranium kill you?
- after a severe intoxication (ingestion of an important mass of soluble uranium compounds); uranium is toxic and radioactive. - after inhalation of uranium dust on long periods; uranium and the released radon are the cause of lung cancers in this case. - after the explosion of a critical mass of enriched uranium - if you are between the victims of a nuclear weapons bombarment, using uranium in the bombs
What does uranium and plutonium do inside a bomb?
The critical mass of plutonium is lower, plutonium is not so expensive as highly enriched uranium, the technology to obtain plutonium is more simple than the isotopic separa-tion of uranium, etc.
How much kg of uranium is required to become critical mass?
There is no single quantity, it depends on many factors some are:enrichment levelpresence/absence of moderatortype of moderatorpresence/absence of reflectorthickness of reflectortype of reflectorpresence/absence of absorbertype of absorberhas the uranium been compressed beyond standard densityetc.For some general order of magnitude values:in a typical water moderated reactor, the critical mass of the 3% enriched uranium is usually several tonsin a typical atomic bomb with a depleted uranium tamper/reflector, the critical mass of the 93.5% enriched uranium is 15 to 20 kg depending mostly on the thickness of the tamper/reflector
When uranium will blast?
Uranium will blast only when a mass of enriched uranium attain the critical mass.
Does a critical mass of uranium require enriched uranium?
No. Heavy Water moderated reactors like the CANDU type can go critical and run on natural (0.72%) Uranium just fine.
Why does uranium metal not explode in a nuclear reaction?
Uranium metal (enriched in uranium-235 up to 99 %) is a nuclear explosive, if the critical mass is reached. Also criticality accidents are possible in uranium plants or uranium storage areas.
How can uranium kill you?
- after a severe intoxication (ingestion of an important mass of soluble uranium compounds); uranium is toxic and radioactive. - after inhalation of uranium dust on long periods; uranium and the released radon are the cause of lung cancers in this case. - after the explosion of a critical mass of enriched uranium - if you are between the victims of a nuclear weapons bombarment, using uranium in the bombs
What does uranium and plutonium do inside a bomb?
The critical mass of plutonium is lower, plutonium is not so expensive as highly enriched uranium, the technology to obtain plutonium is more simple than the isotopic separa-tion of uranium, etc.
How much kg of uranium is required to become critical mass?
There is no single quantity, it depends on many factors some are:enrichment levelpresence/absence of moderatortype of moderatorpresence/absence of reflectorthickness of reflectortype of reflectorpresence/absence of absorbertype of absorberhas the uranium been compressed beyond standard densityetc.For some general order of magnitude values:in a typical water moderated reactor, the critical mass of the 3% enriched uranium is usually several tonsin a typical atomic bomb with a depleted uranium tamper/reflector, the critical mass of the 93.5% enriched uranium is 15 to 20 kg depending mostly on the thickness of the tamper/reflector
What is enriched uranium?
Enriched uranium is uranium that has had its U-235 isotope content elevated above what it would be when we refine natural uranium after recovering the metal from ore.We know that U-235 is the desired fissionable isotope of uranium, but it is the isotope U-238 that is present in over 99% of all the naturally occurring uranium we mine and recover. We have to put the uranium through a process to separate the U-235 from the U-238. As these two isotopes are chemically identical, it takes a mechanical process to separate them. After running the uranium through a process designed to take advantage of the difference in the mass of the two atoms, the industry will recover uranium with a very high percentage of the U-235 isotope, and this is called enriched uranium.If uranium is enriched to a point where there is up to about 20% U-235, it is low-enriched uranium. Above that 20% mark we see highly enriched uranium. Above about 85%, we call the product weapons-grade uranium. A link can be found below for more information.
Was plutonium used in nuclear weaponry?
Yes, plutonium IS used in nuclear weaponry it is one of the two fission fuels (the other is enriched uranium) that provide the energy for the explosion. Traditionally plutonium has been the prefered fission fuel, as it is less expensive to manufacture in quantity with nuclear reactors than is enriching uranium and also has a lower critical mass than enriched uranium. However because plutonium is manufactured in reactors it is "contaminated" with heavier plutonium isotopes that have high rates of spontaneous fission and are more radioactive, making it unsuitable for a few bomb designs for which enriched uranium must be used.
Why can't uranium ore explode in the ground?
No critical mass underground; but as a curiosity read about the Oklo phenomenon.
What is the critical mass of uranium-238?
Each isotope has a different critical mass. U235 is used because the mass needed to cause a reaction is smaller than almost all other isotopes. This critical mass is calculated as( 3.001 x 9.987 to the 11th power) Divided by the weight of one nuclei X 2.5675 (x 10 to the 24th power) divided by mass. This equals 7.702 X 10 to the 13th power divided by mass. You can tell by this calculation that critical mass for u235 is very low at about 1.3 kg. Best regards, Bruce
What is the amount of fissionable material that must be present in order for a nuclear reaction to take place called?
The critical mass. With an amount of U-235 or Pu-239, the smallest critical mass will be a sphere. For a nuclear reactor, it will be the minimum number of fuel assemblies loaded to produce a chain reaction.
Why does uranium explode?
Natural uranium, a heavy metal, is not explosive. It is, however, quite reactive chemically. As a fine powder, if it is was thrown into the air, it would spontaneously begin burning as it is pyphoric. (As an aside, it's a very toxic heavy metal.) No amount of uranium will just "blow up" like the detonation of a brick of plastique (plastic explosive). But there is a bit more to know. If uranium is enriched to increase its U-235 concentration, it can be come explosive if critical mass is reached and "maintained" for a very short duration via explosives. This is the basis for the operation of a nuclear weapon. Note, however, that under normal circumstances, any assemblage of uranium to critical mass (for that concentration of isotopes and the physical conditions) will cause fission to begin. The fission will release enough energy to immediately force the critical mass apart and stop the reaction, though the "mess" resulting will be highly radioactive one. These so-called criticality accidents have occurred from time to time, and they are uniformly tragic (and almost always fatal).
