0
Perhaps the most surprising use of deleted uranium is as a shield against radiation. Because it has a long half life, about four billion years, it does not give off great amounts of radiation. But it is much better at stopping radiation than lead, so a thinner shield can be used, and protect better even though the uranium is radioactive.
Uranium has been used for other things because of its great density, including ballast and weights.
Depleted uranium has been used for antitank ammunition. It cannot produce a nuclear explosion, but is so dense and hard that at high speed, it will pass right through most tank armor.
In days past, uranium was used in dentures. That was more than 65 years ago.
Also, a long time ago, uranium was used to stain or dye glass, ceramics, leather, and wood. The use of uranium compounds in ceramics goes back to ancient times. Fiestaware brilliant red plates contained uranium oxide, but there is no government warning about safety because the amounts of uranium are small. Collectors seem not to worry about it much, but it has not been in production for a long time.
There are a lot of technical uses, ranging from radiometric dating to staining biological samples for microscopic slides.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Uranium is primarily used as fuel in nuclear power plants to generate electricity. It is also used in certain medical treatments, as a component in armor-piercing ammunition, and in some types of radiation detection equipment.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoApplications of uranium:
- nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors
1. Uranium is an alternative to fossil fuels, especially for countries without reserves of coal, petrol, methane.
2. Uranium don't contribute to global warming.
3. Uranium don't release carbon dioxide.
4. In the future uranium can be extracted from the sea water.
- explosive for nuclear weapons
- material for armors and projectiles
- catalyst
- additive for glass and ceramics (to obtain beautiful green or yellow colors)
- toner in Photography
- mordant for textiles
- additive for the preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy
- shielding material (depleted uranium)
- ballast (counter weights)
- and other minor applications
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is the nuclear bomb more powerful than the hydrogen bomb?
No, the hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, is more powerful than a nuclear bomb. A hydrogen bomb derives its energy from the fusion of hydrogen isotopes, whereas a nuclear bomb relies on fission of heavy atoms like uranium or plutonium. This fusion reaction in a hydrogen bomb releases far more energy, making it more powerful.
What are the parts of the nuclear bomb?
A nuclear bomb typically consists of a nuclear warhead (containing fissile material like uranium or plutonium), an initiator to trigger the nuclear reaction, and conventional explosives to compress the fissile material and achieve critical mass. The bomb may also include additional components for delivery, such as a casing, detonation mechanism, and guidance system.
What is stronger atom bomb or nuke?
An atomic bomb is a nuclear weapon. A nuclear fusion bomb, (hydrogen, is usually much stronger than a nuclear fission bomb (uranium or plutonium). The weapons detonated in Japan during WWII measured about 15 kilotons equivalent of TNT. Today, most nuclear weapons are measured by megaton (1000X kiloton) equivalents up to a bomb built by the Russians with a possible yield of 100 megatons.
What is the difference between an hydrogen bomb and a nuclear bomb?
A hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, uses both fission and fusion reactions to generate a more powerful explosion compared to a nuclear bomb, which relies solely on fission reactions. Hydrogen bombs are more destructive and have the potential for a significantly larger yield than traditional nuclear bombs.
Is uranium more dense than lead?
Yes, uranium is denser than lead. Uranium has a density of about 19.1 grams per cubic centimeter, while lead has a density of about 11.3 grams per cubic centimeter.
What else other than uranium 239 is the atomic bomb made of?
Not uranium 239, but uranium 235 and plutonium 239.
How enriched does uranium have to be to become a bomb?
More than 99 %
What is stronger between the atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb?
In general, a fusion bomb (hydrogen bomb) is more powerful than a fission (atomic) bomb. Fusion bombs use an atomic bomb to begin the fusion reaction.
What makes uranium lighter than other elements?
Uranium is not lighter but heavier than many of the other elements; the density of uranium is 19,05 g/cm3 and the atomic weight is 238,02891.
How many times greater was the radiation of Chernobyl than the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
TheChernobyl RB-MK type reactors contained around 140 tons of nuclear fuel up to 50 times more than an atomic bomb. An atomic bomb only contains Uranium 235 (Weapons grade Uranium) A Nuclear reactor uses fuel rods which contains the following. Uranium 235 (Neutron Density 99.3%) Uranium 238 (Neutron Density 0.7%) (Uranium used in nuclear reactors is enriched by 3.8%) And after Nuclear fission. Plutonium 239 Fission fragments from depleted Uranium. There are several ways to enrich uranium by filtering out Uranium 238 making it usable in warhead construction. 1. A Calutron (Uses magnetic attraction to separate Uranium 235 from Uranium 238) 2. A Gas Centrifuge (Uses a special kind of gas to separate Uranium 235 from Uranium 238) I cannot remember exactly but there are more ways than listed here so this is just to give a guideline.
What are the chemicals in uranium?
Uranium is an element and therefore by definition contains no chemical other than itself.
Was it harder to make the Little Boy atomic bomb than the Fat Man atomic bomb?
Little boy was a uranium fission bomb and Fat man was a plutonium implosion type bomb. Both required the needed research. There is no record into was harder to produce.
What kind of uranium did Oak Ridge produce in World War 2 to bomb the Japanese?
Oak Ridge was built to separate Uranium 235 from Uranium 238. Uranium 235 is the fissile isotope of natural Uranium, suitable for use in bombs or power generation. 99+% of Uranium is U 238 and U 235 is less than one per cent.
How did Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the presence of radioactive elements other than uranium?
Polonium and radium are discovered in wastes from uranium minerals, after uranium separation. The important radioactivity of these residues (without uranium) warned the two about the possible existence of other radioactive elements.
Why was the h-bomb made?
To have a bomb stronger than other countries.
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.
Did hydrogen bombs get dropped on Hiroshima?
No, hydrogen bombs were not dropped on Hiroshima. The atomic bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States on August 6, 1945, during World War II. Hydrogen bombs are a more powerful type of nuclear weapon that was developed later.
