Nuclear Fission Flashcards
What are the numbers after uranium?
235
Uranium and plutonium are the types of fuel in a _____ ______ reaction
Controlled chain
When does a nucleus split?
When a slow-moving neutron is absorbed
What does U-235 split into and what does it spit out?
Splits into two daughter nuclei and spits out a small number of neutrons
Describe the state of the two daughter nuclei
Radioactive because they have the wrong number of neutrons
What form of energy does a splitting nucleus give out?
Kinetic energy
What is the name of the machine which makes neutrons produce electricity?
A nuclear reactor
What causes the temperature in the reactor to rise?
The collisions between the atoms
What is the purpose of the moderator?
To slow neutrons down, then they will collide to with uranium for the chain reaction
What do control rods do?
Limit the rate of fission by absorbing excess neutrons
What chemical is used to carry away the generated heat?
CO2
What happens to the heat’s energy?
Heats water, makes steam, turns turbine which generates electricity
