Nuclear fission Flashcards
Nuclear fission
large nuclei break up into form smaller nuclei and releases energy
Daughter nuclei
store a lot of kinetic energy because they are moving at high speeds
Chain reaction
neutrons continue to travel and be absorbed by new nuclei
Uranium 235
splits into two daughter nuclei as soon as it absorbs a neutron and two or more neutrons are released
How is energy transferred in fission
by heating
what happens when the chain reaction of uranium 235 continues
causes an atomic bomb
control rods
contains elements which absorb neutrons
Fuel rods
As fissions occurs, neutrons leave the fuel rods at high speeds
Moderator
fuel rods are places in here to slow down the movement of the neutrons which are released by the fuel rods
how are the control rods placed in a nuclear reactor
they are placed in between the fuel rods in the moderator, the further in the control rods are, the more neutrons are absorbed
How does the nuclear reactor generate electricity
Energy released is transferred to a coolant
A hot coolant is pumped to a heat exchanger to make steam which drives a turbine to generate electricity