so nuclear reactors generate power by splitting atoms but what actually splits these atoms?

Question

so nuclear reactors generate power by splitting atoms but what actually splits these atoms?

In: 6

Answer 1

Take an atom of uranium-235 — a nearly-stable isotope. Hit it with a slow-moving neutron, which it absorbs, becoming an atom of U-236, in an excited state. One time in seven, it releases some energy, and settles down to becoming another nearly-stable atom. But the other six times….

The positively-charged protons in an atomic nuclei want to escape from each other, driven by their mutual electrical repulsion. However, the protons and neutrons are held together by the strong nuclear force. Large nuclei can be in such an excited state that, instead of spherical, they become oval-shaped. From there, they can loose energy by splitting — fissioning — into two smaller nuclei. The lost energy shows up as the two halves speeding away from each other, plus a few neutrons doing the same. These two new atoms interact with other atoms, raising the temperature of the general environment.