Nuclear Fission + Fusion

• Nuclear fission takes place within a nuclear reactor and nuclear fusion takes place within a star
• The two common isotopes used as fuel in nuclear reactors during nuclear fission are Plutonium 239 and Uranium 235
• Nuclear Fission?

  When a neutron hits an unstable nuclei, the atom splits into two smaller nuclei, two or three more neutrons are released and some energy and gamma rays are released
• Nuclear Fusion?


  When two atomic nuclei form into a larger nuclei and release some energy
• Purpose of control rods in a nuclear reactor:

  • Made of a material to absorb the neutrons given off my nuclear fission
  • This slows the rate of the chain reaction
  • This reduces the amount of energy released by the reactor
• Some of the mass of the nuclei in nuclear fusion is converted into energy