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Glite Dictionary
uranium-238

uranium-238

7.9
A common form of uranium that can change into plutonium-239 used as nuclear fuel when it absorbs neutrons
  • noun
  • /jʊˈreɪniəm ˈtuː θɪrˈtiː eɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : uranio-238
  • When uranium-238 absorbs a neutron, it can be transformed into plutonium-239.

Examples

  • Did you know that uranium-238 can be converted into plutonium?

  • Natural uranium consists mostly of uranium-238, with only a small fraction of uranium-235.

  • Nuclear reactors often use uranium-238 as a fertile material to breed more fissile fuel.

  • The reactor uses uranium-238 as a fuel source.

  • In nature, most uranium consists of uranium-238, which is not directly fissionable.

  • Scientists use uranium-238 to create plutonium-239 by irradiating it with neutrons.

  • Natural uranium ore contains about 99.3 percent uranium-238, making it the most prevalent isotope.

How Energy-Rich

plutonium
  • Specialized
84 9.4
uranium-235
  • Specialized
2 7.2
nuclear fuel
  • Specialized
17 4.6
uranium-238
  • Specialized
7.9
uranium ore
  • Specialized
2 8.2

Surface Forms

uranium-238 singular
uranium-238s plural

Morphology

uranium-238 = uranium (transparent) = uranium + 238

Formed from the element name 'uranium' plus the mass-number '238' indicating a specific isotope; the relation to 'uranium' is clear even if isotope details are technical.

Etymology

Uranium-238 is named after the planet Uranus, which comes from a Greek word for the 'sky', and the -ium ending shows it is a 'metal'. The number 238 simply names this heavy form of the element, so thinking of Uranus plus 238 helps you remember this common, heavy version used in nuclear fuel.