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Topic: isotope questions - likely very simple :)  (Read 2101 times)

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Offline harpo55

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isotope questions - likely very simple :)
« on: May 28, 2018, 09:41:56 PM »
Working on a puzzle and I am stuck with the following two questions. The answers make up numbers in the puzzle. Any help appreciated and sorry if this is the wrong subreddit...

1) number of nucleons in the most used reactor fuel source I get 92+143=235

2) number of nucleons in xenon 135 I got 54+81=135

Where am I off??

Thanks!!
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Offline Borek

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Re: isotope questions - likely very simple :)
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2018, 02:58:42 AM »
Why do you think you are off? Both numbers look perfectly OK to me.

Especially the latter is obvious, asking about number of nuclide in Xe-135 is like asking for a length of a six fooeet stick :)
« Last Edit: May 29, 2018, 11:16:47 AM by Borek »
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Offline Arkcon

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Re: isotope questions - likely very simple :)
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2018, 09:31:28 AM »
Quote from: Borek on May 29, 2018, 02:58:42 AM
Why do you think you are off? Both numbers look perfectly OK to me.

Especially the latter is obvious, asking about number of nuclide in Xe-135 is like asking for a length of a six foot stick :)

American, Imperial or Metric?

 ;D
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Offline pcm81

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Re: isotope questions - likely very simple :)
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2018, 10:21:46 PM »
Quote from: harpo55 on May 28, 2018, 09:41:56 PM
Working on a puzzle and I am stuck with the following two questions. The answers make up numbers in the puzzle. Any help appreciated and sorry if this is the wrong subreddit...

1) number of nucleons in the most used reactor fuel source I get 92+143=235

2) number of nucleons in xenon 135 I got 54+81=135

Where am I off??

Thanks!!

well, there are couple of possibilities, although i totally agree with your answers.. The following options are really "reaching for straws":

1. the actual fuel is UO2 not pure U-235 soooo, may be they want 235+2*16?
If you really going to get picky, then the U-235 is only about 5% enriched, so 94% is still U-238...
the U-235 does not actually split. U235 absorbs a neutron and the unstable U236 splits. Sooooo may be they want 236 as the answer?
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