Find the radius of a ${}^{238}\text{Pu}$ nucleus. ${}^{238}\text{Pu}$ is a manufactured nuclide that is used as a power source on some space probes.

Video Transcript

This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. We are going to calculate the radius of a plutonium-238 nucleus. So the radius of a nucleus is r naught multiplied by the mass number to the power of one-third; r naught is 1.2 femtometers we multiply that by 238 to the power of one-third and that is 7.4 femtometers. So the radius of plutonium-238 nucleus is 7.4 femtometers.