Question

uranium is an element that is often used in nuclear power plants. uranium atoms are very large, and the substance can be dangerous if it is not carefully contained. what is true about all uranium atoms? they each have the same number of nuclear particles. they each have the same number of neutral particles. they each have the same number of neutrons. they each have the same number of protons.

Explanation:

• Nuclear particles: Nuclear particles include protons and neutrons. Different isotopes of uranium have different numbers of neutrons, so the total number of nuclear particles (protons + neutrons) can vary.
• Neutral particles (neutrons): Uranium has isotopes (e.g., U - 235 and U - 238). The number of neutrons in these isotopes is different (\(235-92 = 143\) for U - 235 and \(238 - 92=146\) for U - 238).
• Protons: The atomic number of an element is defined by the number of protons. For uranium, the atomic number \(Z = 92\). By definition, all atoms of the same element (in this case, uranium) have the same number of protons.

Answer:

They each have the same number of protons.