Nuclear Fission and Fusion

Nuclear Fission

This is the splitting up of Big Atomic Nuclei. Nuclear power stations and nuclear submarines are both powred by nuclear reactors.

In Nuclear reactors, controlled chain reactions take place. This is when atomic nuclei split up and release energy (in the form of heat).

This heat is then used to heat water to turn a steam turbine (a turbine powerd by steam). 

The fuel used to split atoms is usually uranium-235 or plutonium-239 (or both).

How it works:

If a slow moving neutron gets absorbed by a uranium or plutonium…