Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 157. Control rods play an important role as a brake at nuclear reactors Radioactive uranium produces a chain fission reaction when a neutron collides with it. Nuclear power plants generate electricity by turning a turbine with water vapor, which is obtained from heating the water using the energy released from the nuclear fission reaction of uranium 235. This chain reaction can take place in the presence of ne

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 155. The nuclear fusion reaction produces solar heat All materials that exist in the world are composed of small, invisible particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. The numbers behind radioactive substances, as shown in cesium 134 and 137, each indicate the sum of the protons and neutrons. The nature of the substance varies depending on the balance of these numbers of particles. When a neutron collid

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 153. There are dozens of types of cesium All materials are composed of small particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. The number after the name of radioactive substances, as in cesium 134 and 137, indicates the sum of protons and neutrons. The nature of a substance varies depending on the balance of these numbers of particles. Radioactive substances have unbalanced numbers of particles, and they emit

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 151. Radioactive uranium and plutonium could be used as ingredients for nuclear weapons When radioactive uranium 235, which accounts for less than 1% of natural uranium, collides with a neutron, radioactive uranium becomes unbalanced and split, which results in a release of heat. Furthermore, fission of uranium also results in the production of a new neutron, which will then collide with more radioactive urani

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 149. Generation of heat by a fusion reaction of radioactive uranium In the previous article, we explained that nuclear power plants generate electricity by turning a turbine using water vapor, which is obtained by heating water with the energy released from nuclear fusion. Furthermore, we explained that radioactive uranium is used as fuel for this nuclear fission reaction. When a neutron collides with a radioa