Nuclear Fission: Examples, Nuclear Energy, Chernobyl Explosion

Nuclear fission is the process by which a heavy atomic nucleus breaks up into lighter fragments and nuclei while also emitting gamma rays or photons that release a significant amount of energy. This process can be mimicked in a lab by creating the proper conditions, such as hitting the heavy atom with subatomic particles like neutrons, or it can happen naturally via the spontaneous splitting of an atom by radiative decay. 

• Fission processes are exothermic reactions that release energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation and kinetic energy. 
• All nuclear fission takes place as a nuclear reaction that is bombardment-driven and includes the collision of two subatomic particles in regulated conditions, like reactors.
• The majority of reactions involve the production of new particles and pieces as a result of the collision of a subatomic particle with an atomic nucleus.

Key Terms: Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Fusion, Nuclear Energy, Neutrons, Uranium, Nuclear Reactors

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What is Nuclear Fission?

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The process of nuclear fission involves splitting up huge atomic nuclei into smaller ones in order to release a significant quantity of energy. Neutrons, which are typically found in atomic nuclei together with protons, are typically forced into the nuclei to carry out this procedure. 

Fission is a type of nuclear transmutation, which means that the parent atoms are different from the daughter atoms produced as a result. Although rare, exceedingly slow, and limited to very heavy chemical elements, the fission process can happen spontaneously as a sort of radioactive decay.

Nuclear Fission

Examples of Nuclear Fission

Following are some of the common examples of nuclear fission with their respective equations:

• The splitting of Uranium – 235 

²³⁵₉₂U + ¹₀n → ¹⁴⁴₅₆Ba + ⁸⁹₃₆Kr + 3¹₀n + 210 MeV

• The splitting of Uranium – 233 

²³³₉₂U + ¹₀n → ¹³⁷₅₄Xe + ⁹⁴₃₈Sr + 3¹₀n

• The splitting of Plutonium – 239

²³⁹₉₄Pu + ¹₀n → ¹³⁷₅₄Xe + ⁴⁰₁₀₃ Zr + 3¹₀n

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What are Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Fusion?

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The energy found in an atom's nucleus, or core, is referred to as nuclear energy. 

• Everything in the cosmos is made up of microscopic building blocks called atoms, and the nucleus is held together by energy. 
• The compact nucleus of an atom has a tremendous amount of energy. The force that keeps the nucleus together is referred to as the "strong force". 
• Electricity can be produced using nuclear energy, but it first needs to be released from the atom. 
• Atoms are divided during nuclear fission in order to unleash that energy.
• The process of nuclear fusion is the union of two light atomic nuclei into one heavier one while releasing enormous quantities of energy. 
• Plasma, a hot, charged gas comprised of free-moving electrons and positive ions, is the state of matter where fusion events take place. 
• Plasma has special features that make it different from solids, liquids, and other gases.
• Nuclei must collide with one another at very high temperatures in order for fusion to occur. They have enough energy from the high temperature to overcome their electrical attraction to one another. 
• The nuclear force between the nuclei will overcome the electrical repulsion once they are very close to one another and enable fusion. 
• To increase the likelihood of a collision, the nuclei must be restricted within a narrow area for this to occur.

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Fission in Nuclear Power Plants

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Nuclear fission is the process of firing a particle at an atom, which causes it to split into two smaller atoms and some extra neutrons. This process powers nuclear reactors. 

• When some of the neutrons hit other atoms, they fission as well and release further neutrons. It's known as a chain reaction. 
• A significant quantity of energy is also released as heat from the chain reaction's fissioning of atoms. 
• The reactor's heat is dissipated by a circulating fluid, usually water. The steam produced by this heat can then be used to power turbines to produce energy. 
• Reactors have systems that can speed up, slow down, or stop the nuclear reaction and the heat it generates in order to make sure it happens at the proper rate. 
• Control rods are often used for this, and they are typically made of neutron-absorbing materials like silver and boron.

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The Chernobyl Accident

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The Chernobyl disaster is recorded as the largest–ever uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment. A nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the former Soviet Union was improperly tested on April 26, 1986, leading to a loss of control. 

• Radiation was released into the atmosphere as a result of the fire and explosion that followed the destruction of the building housing the reactor. 
• The populace in several areas of modern-day Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine had severe issues as a result of the radioactive substances discharged into the atmosphere for roughly 10 days.
• The crew sought to find out how long the reactor could be cooled in the event of a power outage the day before the tragedy, before the usual shutdown. 
• Before starting the test, the operators turned off the appropriate automatic shutdown devices. 
• When introduced into the reactor, the control rods' unusual design—which is used to regulate fission inside a reactor—caused a significant power surge. 
• Fuel fragmentation, or the splitting of fuel pellets into more than one piece, was caused by the interaction of hot fuel and cooling water. 
• This process produced steam and increased pressure. Due to the steam explosion that resulted from the pressure rupture, fission products were released into the atmosphere.
• A second explosion followed by the release of hot graphite and fuel channel shards happened just seconds later.

Chernobyl Explosion

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Difference between Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion

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The following table explains the key differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion:

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Things to Remember

• The process in which an atom's nucleus separates into two daughter nuclei is referred to as nuclear fission. For instance, when a neutron bombards an atom of uranium-235, it breaks into the lighter nuclei of barium and krypton.
• Nuclear fission and fusion are two different processes that involve splitting an atom into two or more smaller ones and fusing those smaller atoms together to form a bigger one, respectively.
• Nuclear fission is used by all nuclear power plants, and uranium atoms are typically used in nuclear power plants. A neutron splits a uranium atom when it interacts with it during nuclear fission, releasing a significant quantity of energy in the form of heat and radiation.
• Helium is being created from hydrogen in the Sun's core. Nuclear fusion is the term for this. Each helium atom is created by the fusion of four hydrogen atoms. A portion of the mass is changed into energy during the process.

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