How do control rods in nuclear reactors work?

Question

How do control rods in nuclear reactors work?

In: 221

Answer 1

So look at a pool table.

You rack up all the balls on one side, and the cue ball on the other right?

If you shoot the cue ball into the other balls they scatter and bounce around.

This is basically what a nuclear reaction does. A neutron (cue ball) shoots into a Uranium atom (racked balls) and the energy splits it apart to make more reactions.

Now you put a big piece of foam rubber or something between the cue ball and the racked balls.

You shoot the cue ball, the foam rubber absorbs the kinetic energy, the racked balls don’t burst apart.

The control rods are basically made from a special element that absorbs the random neutrons that zing around and prevent them from starting chain reactions.