Question

Uranium-235 undergoes the following nuclear fission process after absorbing a neutron

What is the value of x in the equation?

Answer 1

The value of (x) in the given nuclear fission equation is (4). Uranium-235 absorbs a neutron and undergoes fission to produce Iodine-135, Yttrium-97, and four additional neutrons which can potentially trigger further reactions.

The image presents a nuclear fission equation involving Uranium-235. In this process, Uranium-235 absorbs a neutron and undergoes fission to produce Iodine-135, Yttrium-97, and x number of neutrons. To find the value of x, we need to balance the equation by ensuring that both mass numbers and atomic numbers are equal on both sides of the equation.

The mass number is balanced as follows:
`[235 (U) + 1 (n) = 135 (I) + 97 (Y) + x(n)] [236 = 232 + x] [x = 4]`

The atomic number is balanced as follows:
`[92 (U) + 0 (n) = 53 (I) + 39(Y)+0(x)] [92=92]`

So, in this nuclear fission process, Uranium-235 absorbs a neutron and splits into Iodine-135 and Yttrium-97 while releasing four neutrons. This release of multiple neutrons is crucial because it enables a chain reaction. Each of these emitted neutrons has the potential to cause the fission of another Uranium-235 nucleus, leading to a self-sustaining chain reaction that releases an enormous amount of energy. This energy release is harnessed in nuclear reactors for electricity generation and constitutes the destructive force of nuclear weapons.