Does U-235's Higher Likelihood of Fission Make It More Useful Than U-238?

  • Thread starter Thread starter textbooks
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Atomic Neutrons
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 1K views
textbooks
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
U-235 is most suitable for bombardment by slow neutrons 'cause it becomes U-236,providing for a more balanced nucleus. So if the electron shells are arranged something like 2,4,8,16,32,18,8,2 the atomic number only changes, in this case, because of an additional neutron. Is this element in a more harmonic state now, is this why it is useful? and U-238; would the same be true simply because it has an even atomic number after bombardment? "Anddoes U-238 have the same electron numbers in their respective shells?
L8R
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Please show some work and attempt to answer one's questions.

What is common among isotopes of any element?

U-235 is one of the fissile or fissionable isotopes, whereas U-238 is considered fertile.