What is meant by fissile material?

What is meant by fissile material?

A nuclide that is capable of undergoing fission after capturing low-energy thermal (slow) neutrons. Although sometimes used as a synonym for fissionable material, this term has acquired its more-restrictive interpretation with the limitation that the nuclide must be fissionable by thermal neutrons.

What’s the meaning of fissile?

1. fissile – capable of undergoing nuclear fission; “a fissionable nucleous”; “fissionable material”

What does fissile mean physics?

fissionable
capable of being split or divided; cleavable. Physics. fissionable. (of a nuclide) capable of undergoing fission induced by low-energy neutrons, as uranium 233 and 235.

What is fissile give an example?

Fissile material refers to a nuclide that is capable of capturing a slow or thermal neutron and undergoing fission. Examples of fissile material include uranium-235, uranium-233, and plutonium-239.

What is the difference between fertile and fissile?

The key difference between fissile and fertile isotopes is that fissile isotopes are material that can undergo fission reaction, whereas a fertile isotope is a material that can be converted into a fissile isotope.

How would you describe Fissility?

In geology, fissility is the ability or tendency of a rock to split along flat planes of weakness (“parting surfaces”). Fissility is used by some geologists as the defining characteristic which separates mudstone (no fissility) from shale (fissile).

What isotopes are fissionable?

While uranium-235 is the naturally occuring fissionable isotope, there are other isotopes which can be induced to fission by neutron bombardment. Plutonium-239 is also fissionable by bombardment with slow neutrons, and both it and uranium-235 have been used to make nuclear fission bombs.

What are fissile material used for?

By definition, fissile material can sustain a chain reaction with neutrons of thermal energy. The predominant neutron energy may be typified by either slow neutrons (i.e., a thermal system) or fast neutrons. Fissile material can be used to fuel thermal-neutron reactors, fast-neutron reactors and nuclear explosives.

How do you know if something is fissile?

In general, most actinide isotopes with an odd neutron number are fissile. Most nuclear fuels have an odd atomic mass number (A = Z + N = the total number of nucleons), and an even atomic number Z. This implies an odd number of neutrons.

Can a fertile material become fissile?

A material, which is not itself fissile (fissionable by thermal neutrons), that can be converted into a fissile material by irradiation in a reactor.

What do you mean by fertile materials?

Fertile material is a material that, although not itself fissionable by thermal neutrons, can be converted into a fissile material by neutron absorption and subsequent nuclei conversions.

What is the difference between fissile and fertile material?

The key difference between fissile and fertile isotopes is that fissile isotopes are material that can undergo fission reaction , whereas fertile isotope is a material that can be converted into a fissile isotope.

What does the name fissile mean?

fissile. ( ˈfɪsaɪl) adj. 1. (Nuclear Physics) Brit capable of undergoing nuclear fission as a result of the impact of slow neutrons. 2. (General Physics) US and Canadian another word for fissionable. 3. tending to split or capable of being split.

What does fissile mean?

Definition of fissile. 1 : capable of or prone to being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage fissile wood fissile crystals.

What is a fissionable material?

What is Fissionable Material – Definition. Fissionable material (nuclide) is material that is capable of undergoing fission reaction after absorbing either thermal neutron or fast neutron.