Nuclear fusion & nuclear fission questions
1. Plutonium-239 is used as a fuel in breeder reactions. It can be formed from uranium-238. The process involves reacting uranium with a neutron to produce uranium-239, which then undergoes beta decay to form neptunium-239, which undergoes further beta decay to give plutonium-239. (a) Deduce the three nuclear equations for the reactions taking place to form 239Pu from 238U. (b) The half-life for the decay of 239U to...