Nuclear Chain Reaction Definition

How to use chain reaction in a sentence.

Nuclear family jelentese nuclear bomb dream. For example 212 neutrons on the average are released by the fission of each uranium 235 nucleus that absorbs a low energy neutron. Information and translations of nuclear chain reaction in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Chain reaction definition is a series of events so related to each other that each one initiates the next.

Meaning of nuclear chain reaction. To simplify the products formed in nuclear fission and nuclear fusion always have a lower mass than the reactants. Nuclear chain reactions are series of nuclear fissions splitting of atomic nuclei each initiated by a neutron produced in a preceding fission.

A nuclear chain reaction was proposed by leo szilard in 1933 shortly after the neutron was discovered yet more than five years before nuclear fission was first discovered. The specific nuclear reaction may be the fission of heavy isotopes eg uranium 235 235 u. Chain reaction definition a self sustaining reaction in which the fission of nuclei of one generation of nuclei produces particles that cause the fission of at least an equal number of nuclei of the succeeding generation.

Other articles where nuclear chain reaction is discussed. During a nuclear reaction such as a fission or fusion reaction the mass accounted for by the nuclear binding energy is released in accordance with the equation e mc 2 energy mass times the square of the speed of light. The nuclear chain reaction is one of three types of nuclear reactions that have different characteristics and can be used in different ways.

Figure 1 below is a visual representation of what a nuclear fission chain reaction looks like. Nuclear chain reaction occurs when one single nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more subsequent nuclear reactions thus leading to the possibility of a self propagating series of these reactions. It was pointed out in the preceding articles that the neutron induced fission reaction is the reaction in which the incident neutron enters the heavy target nucleus fissionable nucleus forming a compound nucleus that is excited to such a high energy level e excitation e critical that the nucleus splits into two large fission fragments.

Didnt read a nuclear chain reaction is a fission reaction that releases extra neutrons. Szilard knew of chemical chain reactions and he had been reading about an energy producing nuclear reaction involving high energy protons bombarding lithium demonstrated by john cockcroft and ernest walton in 1932. If at least one neutron from each fission strikes another u 235 nucleus and initiates fission the chain reaction is sustained and it is said to be critical.

The neutrons split additional atoms releasing even more neutrons.