| − | '''Uranium''' (U) is a heavy, naturally [[radioactive]], [[metal]]lic [[element]] with an [[atomic number]] of 92. Its two principally occurring isotopes are uranium-235 and uranium-238. Uranium-235 is indispensable to the nuclear industry because it is the only isotope existing in nature, that is fissionable by thermal [[neutron]]s. Uranium-238 is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a radioactive isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope [[plutonium]]-239, which also is fissionable by thermal neutrons. | + | '''Uranium''' (U) is a heavy, naturally [[radioactive]], [[metal]]lic [[element]] with an [[atomic number]] of 92. Its two principally occurring isotopes are uranium-235 and uranium-238. Uranium-235 is indispensable to the nuclear industry because it is the only [[isotope]] existing in nature, that is fissionable by thermal [[neutron]]s. Uranium-238 is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a [[radioactive]] isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope [[plutonium]]-239, which also is [[fission]]able by thermal neutrons. |