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Uranium-235 (235 U or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238 , it is fissile , i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction .
Uranium-235 is a radioactive isotope of uranium that undergoes nuclear fission when it collides with a slow neutron. Learn how it is separated from uranium-238, how it is used in nuclear reactors and bombs, and how it decays to thorium-231 and lead-207.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Aug 16, 2023 · There are three natural isotopes of uranium — uranium-234 (U-234), uranium-235 (U-235) and uranium-238 (U-238). U-238 is the most common one, accounting for around 99 per cent of natural uranium found on earth.
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Learn about the general, radioactive, and nuclear magnetic properties of uranium-235, a fissile isotope of uranium. Find out its half-life, decay mode, isotopic abundance, and comparison with other isotopes and nuclides.
Mar 7, 2024 · Uranium-235 (U-235) is ideal for nuclear power because it can undergo induced fission, where its nucleus splits after absorbing a neutron, releasing a significant amount of energy (about 200 MeV) and generating more neutrons to continue the process.
Uranium-235 makes up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a fission chain reaction. It is the only fissile isotope that is a primordial nuclide or found in significant quantity in nature. Uranium-235 has a half-life of 703.8 million years.
Nov 15, 2016 · Learn about uranium, a silvery-white metallic element that is used as a nuclear fuel and has various isotopic properties. Find out how uranium is extracted, enriched, and used for different purposes.
