Nuclear Energy

The element carbon has three natural isotopes: C-12, C-13, and C-14.
Use the periodic table to find the number of protons in a carbon atom.
Then make a drawing to show the nuclei of the three carbon isotopes.
Your drawing should convey the number of protons and neutrons in each of the three different nuclei.
Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are stable, whereas Carbon-14 is unstable.
Which isotope of carbon is most likely to undergo natural radioactive decay?
Which one would be called a radioisotope?
Explain the three processes of nuclear change and what is produced during as a result of that change.
Why is U-235 the most common nuclear fuel instead of the more abundant U-238? State a clear topic sentence and support it with evidence.
Create a flow chart to show how uranium is processed for use in a nuclear reactor.

When uranium is mined, it consists of approximately 99.3% uranium-238 (U238), 0.7% uranium-235 (U235), and < 0.01% uranium-234 (U234). These are the different uranium isotopes. Isotopes of uranium contain 92 protons in the atom's center or nucleus. (The number of protons in the nucleus is what makes the atoms "uranium.") The U238 atoms contain 146 neutrons, the U235 atoms contain 143 neutrons, and the U234 atoms contain only 142 neutrons. The total number of protons plus neutrons gives the atomic mass of each isotope — that is 238, 235, or 234, respectively. On an atomic level, the size and weight of these isotopes are slightly different. This implies that with the right equipment and under the right conditions, the isotopes can be separated.

Explanation: