Why are several neutrons released when uranium nuclei fission?
October 29, 2020 | Education
| The nucleus of uranium-238 consists of 92 protons and 146 neutrons. When the uranium nucleus is divided into two equal parts, 2 nuclei of the praseodymium-119 isotope should be obtained. There are 62 neutrons in the nucleus of the stable isotope praseodymium, not 73. Nuclei with such a large excess of neutrons do not occur in nature. Therefore, it is expected that the fission of uranium nuclei is accompanied by the release of several neutrons.
