Uranium

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/uranium

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Uranium?Discovered in 1789 by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, named after the planet Uranus
2. What is the fissile isotope?Uranium-235 is fissile, meaning it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction
3. What is the primary energy application?Fuel for nuclear power reactors, typically enriched to 3-5% U-235
4. Why does uranium glow?It glows because it is radioactive, releasing energy as it decays.
5. How does uranium help make electricity?In nuclear reactors, enriched uranium undergoes controlled fission, producing heat that turns water into steam to spin turbines and generate power.

Nuclear Fission: The splitting of an atomic nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy.
Isotope: Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.
Enrichment: The process of increasing the concentration of U-235 in uranium.
Critical Mass: The minimum amount of fissile material needed to sustain a nuclear chain reaction.