Diagram illustrating the basic principle behind a Zippe-type gas centrifuge enrichment of uranium. Here the heavy isotope of uranium (U-238) is represented in dark blue, while the lighter isotope of uranium (U-235) is represented in light blue. The input gas (here represented as a fairly even mix of U-235 and U-238, though in reality natural uranium hexafluoride would have less than 1% of U-235 in it) is released into the center of the centrifuge and the centrifugal forces force the heavier gas to concentrate at the edges of the centrifuge and the lighter gas at the center. By heating the bottom of the centrifuge the lighter gas will be moved by convection currents to concentrate at the top while the heavier gas will concentrate at the bottom (scoops, not shown, would then extract the gases).

Here the effect is greatly exaggerated for conceptual simplicity; in reality it would be very subtle and it takes thousands of centrifuges chained together to enrich any substantial amount of uranium to any substantial amount of enrichment.

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