- #1
WannabChemist
- 6
- 0
(1)How does the nuclear reaction in a power plant differ, from the the one that occurs in a nuclear bomb?
(2)I understand how the bomb works, and how a nuclear power plant works. What I don't understand is: how do Uranium fuel rods boil water in a power plant? Do they actually detonate a sort of bomb inside a very solid structure that boils water?
(3)Or do they just let Uranium 235 and 238 decay passively by themselves overtime (producing just enough heat to boil the water.
(4)Are nuclear reactions possible without causing massive damage/radiation output?
(5)Can any element be used in a Nuclear Reaction, presumably to a much lesser effect than Uranium/Plutonium. Presumably, you can separate the nucleus of any atom...
I have searched for these answers, but have not found any that are satisfactory.
(2)I understand how the bomb works, and how a nuclear power plant works. What I don't understand is: how do Uranium fuel rods boil water in a power plant? Do they actually detonate a sort of bomb inside a very solid structure that boils water?
(3)Or do they just let Uranium 235 and 238 decay passively by themselves overtime (producing just enough heat to boil the water.
(4)Are nuclear reactions possible without causing massive damage/radiation output?
(5)Can any element be used in a Nuclear Reaction, presumably to a much lesser effect than Uranium/Plutonium. Presumably, you can separate the nucleus of any atom...
I have searched for these answers, but have not found any that are satisfactory.