How do control rods in nuclear reactors work?
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They control the rate of the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor itself. The chain reaction, once started, pretty much goes on by itself, but if you let it go uncontrolled, it only grows more intense and hotter. Nuclear chain reactions are propagated by atoms (the atoms of the fuel like uranium) being hit by neutrons that are produced by fission of previous atoms. The control rods are made of materials that absorb neutrons, which means they prevent the chain reaction from happening. If you have all the control rods inserted in a reactor, the reaction chain cannot be sustained and the reactor shuts off. Since there’s many control rods, removing or inserting rods is the way in which the rate of the chain reaction is controlled, and thus also its power output and heat output.
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