Question

In the fall of 2002, a group of scientists at los alamos national laboratory determined that the critical mass of neptunium-237 is about 60.0kg. the critical mass of a fissionable material is the minimum amount that must be brought together to start a chain reaction. neptunium-237 has a density of 19.5g/cm3.

Answer 1

The volume of Neptunium-237 required:
volume = mass / density

density = 19.5 x 10⁻³ kg/cm³

volume = 60 / 19.5 x 10⁻³
Volume = 3077 cm³ = 3.08 liters