Nuclear Fission

What is Nuclear fission?

·       Nuclear fission is the exact opposite of nuclear fusion (refer to previous topic).

·       It is a heavy elementary particle that splits into two or more lighter particles.

·       Happens because an element that is commonly stable comes across a stray slow moving neutron

·       Type of radioactivity

Interesting facts about nuclear fission

·       During the fusion process, fission occurs in the second half of the process.

·       People believe that fission occurs with heavy elements like uranium when they split into lighter elements.

·       In every nuclear fission, 3 products are formed

o   1^st product

§  Fission products

·       Consists of the smaller nuclei produced during fission.

o   2^nd product

§  Energy

·        A tiny amount of matter in the original uranium atom is changed into energy

o   3^rd product

§  Neutrons

History of nuclear fission

·       Discovered accidentally in 1938 by two German physicists

·       They had been doing a series of experiments in which they used neutrons to bombard various elements

·       Radioactive form of copper produced when copper is bombarded

·       Other elements behave in the same way

How is nuclear fission used?

·       Generate electricity via

o   Power plants

§  Uses the heat generated by a nuclear fission process

·       To drive a steam turbine which generates usable electricity

o   Nuclear reactors