How Controllable Is Nuclear Fission

Reactor operators control the chain reaction created by nuclear fission to regulate the amount of heat generated and energy produced.

Nuclear energy is defined as energy released by reactions within atomic nuclei, as in nuclear fission or fusion (“Dictionary”). Nuclear fission is defined as a nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy. The definition of nuclear fission is as reaction in which two nuclei combine to form a nucleus with the release of energy (“Dictionary”). The process of nuclear fission and fusion happen inside of a nuclear reactor that is located in a nuclear power plant. Also needing to be defined, a nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear fission initiates a controlled chain reaction, producing heat energy typically used for power generation, and neutrons and fission products (“Dictionary”). It is also important to know that there are a few different kinds of nuclear reactors. The different kind of reactors include: pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, gas-cooled reactors, and light water graphite reactors (Blau 117). Finally, a nuclear power plant is a facility for the production of electricity using

Describe how nuclear fission works. How do nuclear plant engineers control fission and prevent a runaway chain reaction?

This powers generators. Fission also splits atom nuclei into small atoms but only big atoms like uranium and plutonium. The isotopes of these atoms really help for example uranium 235 and plutonium 239. They both have large nuclei when split. This will then cause it to release a lot of energy during this process, the more nuclei the more reaction there will be. This is also the process that power station use as well for chain

In the modern world, nuclear fission is the fundamental process of a nuclear bomb and nuclear reactor. The reaction produces a chain reaction of atom splitting that produces 24,000,000 kilowatts per hour of energy. On the other hand, nuclear fusion is a reaction where two or more nuclei come close enough to one another to create one or more atomic nuclei and subatomic nuclei. As a result, this reaction produces a massive amount of energy; fusion reaction is the energy source of the sun, the energy produced by fusion is the answer to why the sun is hot.

When a uranium nucleus splits, energy is released (as steam). This steam turns generators and creates electric energy. One pro is that nuclear fission does not release as many pollutants as fossil fuels. Two cons are that it nuclear waste is hard to dispose of and also can be harmful for humans.

Nuclear energy is gathered by the process of splitting uranium atoms. By splitting these atoms, there is some mass loss, and this mass can then be used as energy. This process is called fission. The heat from this fission is used to turn water into steam, and this steam turns the turbine generator in a reactor, which produces energy. Nuclear power plants have many advantages when compared to other renewable energy sources.

Albert Einstein developed an equation for this process, E=mc^2. To summarize this equation, energy is lost or produced when a change in mass occurs. So the process of nuclear fission begins with a neutron. The neutron then strikes the Uranium nucleus, causing the Uranium nucleus to split into two Uranium nuclei. By splitting the nucleus, it also produces more neutrons, and with those neutron, it continues to split the Uranium nucleus. From this uncontrolled process of fission, nuclear weapons can be made. This process is known as a nuclear chain reaction. The energy released (exothermic reaction) from this chain reaction is what powered the atomic bombs.

Nuclear fission separates or splits heavier atoms to form lighter atoms. Nuclear fusion combines together lighter atoms to form heavier atoms. Both reactions generate roughly a million times more energy than comparable chemical reactions, making nuclear bombs a million times more powerful than non-nuclear bombs. This energy produces the blast and fire which are normally the purpose of a nuclear explosion. Most fission products have too many neutrons to be stable so they are radioactive by beta decay, converting neutrons into protons by throwing off beta particles and gamma rays.Which makes thing called half lives. Their half lives range from milliseconds to about 200,000 years. Many decay into isotopes that are themselves radioactive, so from 1 to 6 decays may be required to reach stability. In reactors, the radioactive products are the nuclear waste in spent fuel. In bombs, they become radioactive fallout, both local and

Uranium is most notably recognised for its radioactivity however, when compared with other radioactive elements, Uranium has quite slow rate of decay (Pappas, 2015). U-235, an isotope of Uranium, can be used in a fission bomb due to the fact that when its nucleus splits it releases substantial amounts of energy. The most infamous example of how uranium has been used in this way is the atomic uranium bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the U.S in 1945 (Atomic Heritage Foundation, n.d.). Furthermore, the same properties that allow uranium to be used in a bomb, are valued in the world of nuclear energy. Nuclear power stations use energy from uranium to produce electricity and this production accounts for approximately 11 percent of the

Uranium is a dense radioactive metal that is used in nuclear reactors. It is found in nature and has two large isotopes, U-235 and U-238. The energy that is produced in nuclear reactors is from the splitting or fission of the U-235 atoms. It releases energy in most cases in the form of heat; U-235 is the main splitting isotope of uranium. Uranium enriched is required to be in light water reactors, which allows controlled nuclear reaction.

Fission is controlled within a nuclear reactor, in contrast to an uncontrolled reaction in an atomic bomb. One method utilized to control the reaction is neutron absorption through control rods. These rods have the ability to capture neutrons, which consequently slows the reaction down when they are placed among the fuel assembly. Of course, a reaction must first begin before it needs to slow down. Fuel rods containing pellets, often made of uranium-235, are grouped into a fuel assembly to act as fuel for the reaction. These fuel rods must contain critical mass, or the minimum amount of fissionable uranium to sustain the reaction. Once the fuel rods have been used, they are no longer able to sustain a chain reaction and contain subcritical mass. The initial chain reaction is able to occur when the uranium pellets are bombarded with neutrons, causing the uranium atoms to split and release energy in the form of heat, and while also release more neutrons to collide with other atoms to create even more heat (How Do Nuclear, n.d.). Due to this being a controlled reaction, energy is released slower, meaning the heat produced is able to be captured. Because the TMI-2 was a pressurized water reactor and not a boiling water reactor, the heat was then taken to the primary coolant water system, and the pressurizer kept the water from boiling (How Do Nuclear, n.d.). As the previous image shows,

Scientists have been trying for many years to build nuclear reactors that would allow a sustained fusion reaction to occur. There are several factors that influence a fusion reaction. Since very high kinetic energies are needed for nuclei to fuse, the plasma in which fusion occurs is extremely hot. Temperatures in excess of 100 million degrees celsius are required for the easiest fusion reaction to take place. Plasmas are fluids, and therefore they have no permanent shape and will quickly disperse if not confined. A 100 million degree plasma will vaporise any container in which it is placed, so magnetic fields are used to contain the plasma.

Nuclear power is generated from the energy that is released from a heavy nucleus into a lighter, more stable nuclei. The heat produced is used to boil water which drives a steam turbine to generate electricity. This chain reaction process is also called fission. A key element to fuel nuclear plant is uranium. Uranium is considered to be a nonrenewable energy source, even though it is a common metal found in rocks worldwide. U-235 is most commonly used in plants because its atoms are easily split apart. To extract U-235 uranium ore is mined; for the United States, this element is found in the

Getting energy from nuclear reactions is a well-established science, tracing back to the discovery of radioactive elements, and eventually to harnessing the energy within those reactions for human needs. The basis of nuclear power is the use of nuclear fission to generate heat, which changes water into steam, and powers a turbine. Nuclear fission is related to radioactive decay, which was discovered in the late 1800s by Henri Becquerel and furthered by Marie and Pierre Curie. Nuclear fission itself was the work of Enrico Fermi – a physicist from Italy. Fermi would later help create the first self-sustaining chain reaction on the grounds of the University of Chicago in 1942. The understanding of nuclear fission and the ability to create chain reactions would lead to the Manhattan Project, culminating in the dropping of two nuclear bombs over Japan at the end of World War II. The technology would later be adapted into more peaceful purposes such as generating energy. Nuclear fission works by bombarding the radioactive element – usually uranium, but sometimes plutonium – with neutrons. When the neutron hits the element, it will split into two lighter atoms, releasing more neutrons, and energy. Those