What is nuclear fission and what are some uses?

Nuclear Fission:

when the nuclei of certain isotopes are bombarded with neutrons; the nuclei splits into smaller fragments

How does nuclear fission occur?

What happens in a nuclear chain reaction?

How do nuclear power plants(light water reactors) generate electricity?

  1. In nuclear reactors a coolant absorbs heat

  2. heat turns into water which then turns into steam

  3. steam drives turbine to produce electricity

What are the pros and cons of nuclear power?

Pros:

  • carbon free electricity

  • requires small amount of land

  • reliable baseload

Cons:

  • nonrenewable energy source

  • high up-front cost

  • causes health challenges