Q. The dfference between U 235 and U 238 atom is
Solution:
U235 and U238 are two member of Uranium isotope. Atomic number of both is 92, while neutron numbers of U238 and U235 are 146 and 143, respectively. Therefore, Formed compound nuclei by absorption of one neutron in 238U and 235U are 239U and 236U. It is clear that the excitation energy of 236U is greater than due to pairing energy compared to the excitation energy of 239U if kinetic energy of absorbed neutrons are the same . As a result, 235U undergoes fission by the absorption of neutron with very low energy while 238U undergoes fission by the absorption of fast neutron.
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