A typical nuclear fission reactor contains a mix of uranium and plutonium isotopes, such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239.
Fill in the following:
Uranium-235:
Number of protons –
Number of neutrons –
Number of electrons – 92
Uranium-233
Number of protons –
Number of neutrons – 141
Number of electrons –
Plutonium-239
Number of protons – 94
Number of neutrons –
Number of electrons –
Plutonium-239 is present in nuclear reactors as the oxide, PuO2.
Calaculate the percentage by mass of plutonium in PuO2.
O, 16; Pu, 239
One Response
Here’s how to figure answers:
# electrons = # protons
Mass (eg, 235 for U-235) = Number of protons + Number of neutrons
%Pu = mass of Pu/(mass of PuO2) •100
To get the mass of PuO2, just add the mass of Pu to twice the mass of O.