Enriched uranium

Enriched uranium is a type of special rock that has a lot more of a special ingredient called 'uranium-235' in it than your regular rock. When you get a piece of enriched uranium, you can use it to make a special kind of energy called nuclear energy, which is different from the energy we use to power our homes and cars.

It all starts with regular uranium rock, which has a mix of different chemicals inside it. One of these is a special type of uranium called uranium-235. When you want to use uranium to create nuclear energy, you need to separate out the uranium-235 from the other chemicals in the rock. This process is called 'enrichment'.

There are different ways to do enrichment, but one way is to use a big machine called a 'centrifuge'. Imagine a spinning top that goes round and round really fast. When you spin it, all the heavy stuff tries to go to the outside, and all the light stuff stays towards the middle. A centrifuge works the same way. You put the uranium rock inside, and it spins at super-fast speeds. The uranium-235 moves towards the outside, where it can be collected and used to make nuclear energy.

Enriched uranium is used to fuel nuclear power plants and sometimes even nuclear weapons. It is important to handle enriched uranium with caution and respect, as it is a powerful substance that needs to be used safely and responsibly.