Uranium enriched to about 90% U-235 is called weapon grade uranium. Which option names this correctly?

Uranium enriched to about 90% U-235 is called weapon grade uranium. Which option names this correctly?

• A. Reactor grade uranium
• B. High enriched uranium
• C. Low enriched uranium
• D. Weapon grade uranium

Answer: (D)

Enrichment level naming defines what the uranium fuel is used for. Natural uranium has about 0.7% U-235. Low-enriched uranium, typical for commercial power reactors, is up to about 5% U-235. Highly enriched uranium covers a broader range of higher U-235 contents, but when the enrichment is around 90%, it is specifically referred to as weapon-grade uranium. So the label that correctly names uranium enriched to about 90% U-235 is weapon-grade uranium. The other terms correspond to different enrichment ranges (reactor-grade and low-enriched) or are broader categories that don’t pinpoint the 90% case.

Enrichment level naming defines what the uranium fuel is used for. Natural uranium has about 0.7% U-235. Low-enriched uranium, typical for commercial power reactors, is up to about 5% U-235. Highly enriched uranium covers a broader range of higher U-235 contents, but when the enrichment is around 90%, it is specifically referred to as weapon-grade uranium. So the label that correctly names uranium enriched to about 90% U-235 is weapon-grade uranium. The other terms correspond to different enrichment ranges (reactor-grade and low-enriched) or are broader categories that don’t pinpoint the 90% case.