Why do we use Uranium and Plutonium for nukes? Is it possible to use other elements?
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in a very eli5 way:
when things are broken (nuclear fission) they release energy. it takes alot of effort to make very stable elements explode, for example gold. uranium is verrrrrrrry unstable and can release ALOT of energy when “broken”. lots of other elements can do this but you run into other problems like money, obtainability, weight, so reactive it reacts with the bomb casing, explodes randomly without warning(very bad).
this release of energy looks like a big mushroom floating in the air which i am sure you are familiar with.
if u want to know why things release energy when they are broken i can try to explain it but i will have to go into it a bit haha
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