Eli5: How are Nuclear Weapons different from Nuclear Power Plants?

Question

Eli5: How are Nuclear Weapons different from Nuclear Power Plants?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Nuclear weapons are devices designed for **uncontrolled** releases of energy.

Nuclear power plants use nuclear material to produce heat in a very controlled fashion to release very modest amounts of energy/heat. The amount of heat produced is **controllable** and is used to boil water and create steam. That steam is used to turn turbines which creates electricity.