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In the fall of 2002, a group of scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory determined that the critical mass of neptunium-237 is about 60 kg. The critical mass of a fissionable material is the minimum amount that must be brought together to start a chain reaction. This element has a density of 19.5 g/cm3 .What would be the radius of a sphere of this material that has a critical mass?

 Jul 6, 2014

Best Answer 

 #2
avatar+118696 
+6

I just want to think this through more than Alan needed to.     

Volumeofsphere=43πr3         Needtofindrcm 

Density=19.5gcm3     

  Ifthereis19.5gcm3Thenitwouldalsobetruetosaythattherearecm319.5g

mass=60kg=60000g

so

cm319.5g×60000g=3076.923cm3The grams cancel out

 

3076.923=43πr33076.9233/(4π)=r3r=33076.9233/(4π)r=9.023cm

 

(3076.923×3(4×π))(13)=9.022827882792352

 Jul 7, 2014
 #1
avatar+33654 
+5

Density is mass per unit volume, so volume = mass/density.  Volume of a sphere is (4/3)pi*r3, where r is the radius.  Put these together to get 

r = (3*mass/[4pi*density])1/3.

r=(3×60000(4×π×19.5))(13)r=9.022827957982585

r ≈ 9 cm

(Note that I've expressed the mass as 60000 grams because the density is given as grams/cm3)

 Jul 6, 2014
 #2
avatar+118696 
+6
Best Answer

I just want to think this through more than Alan needed to.     

Volumeofsphere=43πr3         Needtofindrcm 

Density=19.5gcm3     

  Ifthereis19.5gcm3Thenitwouldalsobetruetosaythattherearecm319.5g

mass=60kg=60000g

so

cm319.5g×60000g=3076.923cm3The grams cancel out

 

3076.923=43πr33076.9233/(4π)=r3r=33076.9233/(4π)r=9.023cm

 

(3076.923×3(4×π))(13)=9.022827882792352

Melody Jul 7, 2014

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