The most abundant isotope of uranium, 238 U, does not undergo fission. Instead, it captures a ne

step 1 Hi, in this video, we're going to be talking about nuclear fission. So if you don't remember wha

The most abundant isotope of uranium, 238 U, does not...

The most abundant isotope of uranium, $238 \mathrm{U}$, does not undergo fission. Instead, it captures a neutron and emits two $\beta$ particles to make a fissionable isotope of plutonium, which can then be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor. Write an equation for the nuclear reaction and identify the product nucleus.

Key Concepts

Neutron Capture

Neutron capture is a process in which an atomic nucleus absorbs a free neutron. This increases the mass number of the nucleus by one without changing the atomic number. Neutron capture is fundamental in altering the composition of nuclei in nuclear reactions and is particularly important for initiating transmutation processes in reactor fuel cycles.

Beta Decay

Beta decay is a radioactive decay process in which a neutron in an unstable nucleus is converted into a proton, emitting a beta particle (an electron) and an antineutrino. This decay changes the atomic number of the element while leaving the mass number essentially unchanged. It is essential for transforming neutron-rich nuclei into more stable forms, often leading to a different element.

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation refers to the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another through nuclear reactions such as neutron capture followed by beta decay. This concept is key to understanding how non-fissile materials can be transformed into fissile fuels in nuclear reactors, playing a critical role in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Transcript

00:01 Hi, in this video, we're going to be talking about nuclear fission.

00:03 So if you don't remember what nuclear fission is, it's a type of nuclear reaction in which a parent nucleus is going to form two daughter nuclei, which are lighter from the parent.

00:17 And so how that happens usually is, aside from spontaneous vision, which i won't be talking about in this video.

00:24 But usually how fission happens is when we have a neutron, and we bombard the parent nucleus with that neutron.

00:33 And in this process, energy is released in the form of gamma rays.

00:38 So the energy that's released is what powers nuclear reactors.

00:45 And so it turns out that for very heavy isotopes, so take the example of these two isotopes, uranium 235 and uranium 238.

01:00 The mass number really matters to predict whether fission will occur when we involve the bombardment of the parent nucleus with a neutron.

01:11 So uranium 235, the mass number is odd.

01:15 While uranium 238, the mass number is even.

01:19 And it turns out that the nucleus, right, of this isotope, the nucleide that has an odd number will be more fissile, which means more able to undergo fission because that extra neutron, right, that extra neutron will provide essentially a source of instability or a source of energy to the nucleus.

01:48 Whereas in the uranium 238, nucleide, it's not going to be as viscile because the nucleide is more stable.

02:03 So just remember, uranium 235 can undergo fission usually through this process in which we bombard the parent nucleus with a neutron, whereas in uranium 238, this usually doesn't happen.

02:19 So i do also want to talk about a reaction involving uranium 238.

02:26 That does happen in which we bombard the nucleide with a neutron, but it's going to form a different product, which can then undergo fission...

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