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Direction (Q. Nos. 47-49): Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions. Your answer should be based on the passage only. Passage Acquiring enough fissile material for a critical mass is challenging. U-235 exists in very tiny amounts in nature. It has to be separated from a much more common isotope of uranium (U-238) and concentrated (enriched) and processed into a quantity large enough to make a nuclear weapon. Natural uranium is about 0.7 percent U-235. Uranium that contains 20 percent or more of U-235 is known as Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and weapons-grade uranium usually contains at least 90 percent of this isotope. Uranium enriched for use in most civil nuclear reactors is enriched between 3 and 20 percent (Low-Enriched Uranium or LEU). The amount of HEU needed to make a nuclear fission weapon depends on the enrichment level of the HEU and the sophistication of the weapon. According to the text, what is the standard concentration of U-235 found in uranium in its natural state?
This question appeared in the OPSC Prelims 2025 examination (GS-II). It is Question 47 out of 178 questions in this paper.
This question was part of the OPSC Prelims 2025 (GS-II). The OPSC Prelims examination tests candidates on general studies, current affairs, and aptitude through multiple-choice questions.
Practice previous year questions from all OPSC Prelims papers and compare patterns with UPSC Prelims PYQ to identify overlapping topics.