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(Solved): One of the waste products of a nuclear reactor is plutonium-239 (239Pu). This nucleus is radioactiv ...
One of the waste products of a nuclear reactor is plutonium-239 . This nucleus is radioactive and decays by splitting into a helium-4 nucleus and a uranium-235 nucleus , the latter of which is also radioactive and will itself decay some time later. The energy emitted in the plutonium decay is and is entirely converted to kinetic energy of the helium and uranium nuclei. The mass of the helium nucleus is , while that of the uranium is (note that the ratio of the masses is 4 to 235
(a) Calculate the velocities of the two nuclei, assuming the plutonium nucleus is originally at rest. alpha-velocity: Enter your answer to 3 SigFigs along with proper units. Pu-velocity:
Enter your answer to 3 SigFigs along with proper units.
Expert Answer
Plutonium IsotopesPlutonium is a dense silver-like metal with a number of isotopes. The isotopes are radioactive emitting alpha particles except for 240Pu which emits beta rays. The atomic number is the highest of the naturally occurring element. It is very useful for producing nuclear weapons because it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. 239Pu can be used as nuclear fuel since they do undergo fission by neutron capture.It has a low-radiation hazard in terms of external effects on the body because it has low penetrating power. There is also no danger associated with the ingestion into the body because only a very little fraction can be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, it is carcinogenic if more than a certain amount is inhaled as dust.Since 239Pu and 240Pu are chemically alike, plutonium is therefore graded based on the quantity of 240Pu it contains. The grades going from higher to lower percentage of 240Pu it contains are reactor grade, fuel grade, weapons grade, and super grade.Part alet us apply the law of conservation of linear momentum, the addition of the linear momentum of the daughter nuclei must be equal to that of the parent nucleus. Since the parent nucleus was at rest, the momentum is zero. where,m2 is the mass of Uranium while m1 is the mass of Helium.