Question

When the nucleus of Uranium is bombarded with neutrons, it breaks up into two nuclei of nearly equal mass. this process is called
A) nuclear fission
B) nuclear fusion
C) physical change
D) artificial radioactivity

Answer 1

A. nuclear fission

The process of splitting a nucleus is called nuclear fission. Uranium or plutonium isotopes are normally used as the fuel in nuclear reactors because their nuclei are relatively large and easy to split. For fission to happen, the uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nucleus must first absorb a neutron.