How do nuclear power plants actually work?

Question

I understand that that the energy released from splitting atoms is used to heat up water into steam and turn a turbine, but how are the atoms actually split?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

The atoms are really unstable and looking for an excuse to break down to a more stable state. To do that, you knock ’em with neutrons. This causes a chain reaction – after you hit one with a neutron, it breaks apart releasing energy and more neutrons, which hits other atoms that break apart and release more energy and more neutrons.