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Describe the principles of a nuclear reactor. What is the difference between a nuclear reactor and a nuclear bomb? |
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Answer» In a nuclear reactor fuel rods are used to provide a suitable fissionable material such as \(^{236}_{92}U\). Control rods are used to start or stop the reactor. Moderators are used to slow down the fast neutrons ejected in a nuclear fission to the appropriate lower speeds. Material used as a coolant removes the energy released in the nuclear reaction by converting it into thermal energy for production of electricity. In a nuclear reactor, a nuclear fission chain reaction is used in a controlled manner, while in a nuclear bomb, the nuclear fission chain reaction is not controlled, releasing tremendous energy in a very short time interval. [Note : The first nuclear bomb (atomic bomb) was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan on 06 August 1945. The second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in Japan on 9 August 1945.] |
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