uranium 235

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. the radioactive uranium isotope having a mass number of 235, comprising 0.715 percent of natural uranium. When bombarded with neutrons it undergoes fission with the release of energy.

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Etymology

Origin of uranium 235

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

This is especially true if your fission system relies on highly enriched uranium—that is, uranium composed of 20 percent or more of the fissile isotope uranium 235.

From Scientific American • Jan. 27, 2022

The more uranium 235 your nuclear fuel has, the smaller you can make your reactor—or your bomb, which is why the material is subject to such strict regulations.

From Scientific American • Jan. 27, 2022

Lawmakers set the budget at 235 million yen after uranium 235, a fuel used in atomic reactors, according to his autobiography.

From BusinessWeek • Oct. 20, 2011

The government increased the proportion of uranium 235, the kind that splits easily in reactors.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2010

For an atom, uranium 235 has a pretty enormous nucleus, packed with 92 protons and 143 neutrons.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland