GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -Thorium-232 and uranium-238… … latter isotope eventually decays into plutonium-239-a fissile material of great importance in nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Another fissile isotope, uranium-233, can be formed by neutron irradiation of thorium-232.

Detailed explanation-2: -Plutonium-239 contains the highest quantities of fissile material, and is notably one of the primary fuels used in nuclear weapons. Plutonium-238 has more benign applications and has been used to power batteries for some heart pacemakers, as well as provide a long-lived heat source to power NASA space missions.

Detailed explanation-3: -Plutonium-239 is primarily used as a fuel to power nuclear reactors. In fact, it enters into the composition of MOX fuel – mixed uranium and plutonium oxide. By combining the Pu 239 produced by nuclear reactors with depleted uranium, MOX can be used to fabricate one new fuel assembly from every 8 used fuel assemblies.

Detailed explanation-4: -By contrast, the binding energy released by uranium-238 absorbing a thermal neutron is less than the critical energy, so the neutron must possess additional energy for fission to be possible. Consequently, uranium-238 is a fissionable material.

Detailed explanation-5: -Unlike Pu-239, Pu-238 is non-fissile, so it cannot be used in nuclear power plants or nuclear weapons.