Final answer:
Uranium is primarily used as a fuel in nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity by undergoing fission in a reactor core.
Step-by-step explanation:
Today, uranium is primarily used as a fuel in nuclear power plants to generate electricity. Once mined, uranium-235 (U-235) must be extracted and enriched from natural uranium, which consists mostly of uranium-238 (U-238), as it contains less than 1% U-235.
The enrichment process involves increasing the percentage of U-235, normally to about 3%, forming what is known as enriched uranium. Nuclear fuel made from this enriched uranium is then formed into fuel rods, assembled into fuel assemblies, and loaded into reactors. These reactors use the energy from the fission of U-235 atoms to maintain a self-sustaining chain reaction, emitting heat and radiation to produce electrical power.
Breeder reactors are another type of reactor that can create more fuel than they consume by converting non-fissionable U-238 into fissionable plutonium (Pu-239), which can then be used as a fuel. This process extends the potential supply of fissionable material beyond what is available in U-235 alone.