Nuclear Fission

Question 1

What is the critical mass?

Answer 1

The mass needed of the radioactive material to keep a chain reaction going

Question 2

What happens if the mass of the radioactive material is too high?

Answer 2

The rate of the fission reaction increases rapidly which can cause a nuclear explosion

Question 3

What are the advantages of nuclear fission? (Name 2)

Answer 3

Could be an alternative for limited fossil fuel
Long lasting
If properly contained, no emissions will be emitted
Possibility of an accident in very small

Question 4

What are the issues with nuclear fission? (Name 2)

Answer 4

Expensive to build and maintain 
Containment needed 
Safety systems are needed 
Security against terrorism 
Waste is hard to get rid of 
Takes up a lot of land 
Nuclear waste remains radioactive for a long time

Question 5

What materials does nuclear fission often use?

Answer 5

Uranium - 235

Plutonium - 239

Question 6

What is nuclear fission?

Answer 6

The splitting of large, unstable atoms into smaller ones with the release of energy