One thing I forgot to mention is how useful Uranium 238 can be. Normally, U-238 is not fissionable. However, that does not make it worthless. A quick look at any periodic table will tell you that all the elements listed after Uranium are artificial, in other words there are created in a breeder reactor or particle accelerator. These transuranium elements all start with a base of Uranium. By bombarding a target Uranium atom with neutrons or alpha particles you make the all the elements heavier than Uranium. All of theses elements are highly radioactive and some or so unstable they only exist for fractions of a second before decaying into something more stable. However, there are some useful products gained from this process. The most useful of theses transuranic element is fissionable Plutonium. A breeder reactor converts Uranium (or Thorium) into Plutonium. Plutonium can be used in reactors for power, or for making nuclear weapons. (Aside: The second atomic weapon used by the United States in World War II was a plutonium device, the infamous “Fat Man”.) What makes Uranium-238 so useful is the fact it can be used in a breeder reactor to make Plutonium.

Have a nice day. Please continue consuming the caffeinated beverage of your choice.