What is plutonium used for?

Answer 1

* Nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors (Pu-239 and Pu-241 are fissile isotopes) * Nuclear weapons

* Power and thermal sources - Pu-238 (for pacemakers, spacecrafts, etc.)

* Neutron source, as Pu-Be

Answer 2

Plutonium is highly toxic. A small amount ingested in the human body will result in death. This isn't even because plutonium is radioactive, although it is. Plutonium is a heavy metal, and in general, living tissues are poisoned by heavy metals. Lead, arsenic, Mercury, and thallium are examples of more commonly available poisonous heavy metals.

Human beings do in fact use plutonium for electrical power generation and in nuclear weapons. Plutonium is a byproduct of Uranium fission processes. When a U238 atom absorbs a neutron, it will become U239, which decays by emitting an electron (and an electron antineutrino) to make Neptunium 239, and another beta decay brings it down to Plutonium 239, which has a half-life of 24,360 years.

Answer 3

- fuel for nuclear reactors

- explosive for nuclear weapons

- neutron source

- isotopic power source

- isotopic heat source

- in the past, power source for pacemakers

Answer 4

Nuclear bomb in the World War II.