Naturally occurring uranium ore must be enriched to undergo a chain reaction.In the enrichment process,which of the following increases in percentage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Uranium-235 is the isotope that undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor, so it is the one that needs to be enriched. The process increases the concentration of uranium-235 from its natural abundance of about 0.7% to around 3% to 5%. Plutonium-239 and uranium-233, while also capable of sustaining a chain reaction, are usually produced in small quantities through the neutron capture of other isotopes, rather than being enriched from natural ore. Uranium-238 and uranium-239 do not undergo fission in a nuclear reactor.

Naturally Occurring Uranium Ore Must Be Enriched to Undergo a Chain