High School

For a radioactive isotope like Uranium-235, what does the 235 indicate?

Answer :

The 235 in Uranium-235 indicates the atomic mass of the isotope. Uranium-235 has 235 nucleons in its nucleus, which includes 92 protons (since uranium has an atomic number of 92) and 143 neutrons.

This particular isotope is significant because it can undergo nuclear fission, making it useful for nuclear power and weapons. The number 235 is important because it helps identify the specific isotope and its properties, such as its stability and potential uses.

About 0.72 percent of natural uranium is composed of the uranium isotope uranium-235 (also known as 235U or U-235). It is fissile, which means that it may support a nuclear chain reaction, in contrast to the dominating isotope uranium-238. As a primordial nuclide, it is the sole fissile isotope found in nature.

The half-life of uranium-235 is 703.8 million years. By 1935, Arthur Jeffrey Dempster had found it. It has a fission cross section of roughly 584.31 barns for slow thermal neutrons. It is around 1 barn for fast neutrons. The majority of neutron absorptions cause fission, while a small number also produce uranium-236.

To know more about Uranium-235 click here:

https://brainly.com/question/9099776

#SPJ11