Uranium is a type of atom. In special circumstances that usually involve high amounts of energy, uranium can be broken. When this occurs, different pieces of the original atom remain, including a substance called plutonium.

Question

Which statement most likely describes plutonium?

It will still be uranium, just smaller pieces of uranium.
It must no longer be a form of matter.
It must be a different kind of atom.
It will be different than, but have the same properties as, uranium.

Answer 1

The statement that most likely describes plutonium is:

It must be a different kind of atom.

When uranium undergoes fission (the process of being broken apart), it produces different elements, including plutonium, which is a distinct element with its own atomic number and properties.