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Chain reaction mighty power of the tiny atom

Everything in the universe is made up of 'atoms'. The first scientists thought that the atoms were the smallest fragments of anything that could exist. But the atoms are made up of even smaller components: a very dense nucleus, made up of protons (with a positive electrical charge) and neutrons (uncharged), surrounded by very much lighter cloud of 'electrons' (with a negative charge). The uranium is the heaviest naturally-occurring atom with 92 protons and a variable number of neutrons (146 and 143 are the most common forms). The phenomenon which is now know as fission of uranium was first reported in Berlin in December 1938. On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi started the world's first fission reactor in Chicago.

  • Gulf News Report
  • Published: 00:43 May 9, 2008
  • Gulf News

1. When a neutron strikes the nucleus of an atom, it is usually absorbed by the nucleus in question. But large atoms, however, have been observed to behave differently.

2. Uranium's nucleus is a very "fissionable" material (fissile). Its nucleus breaks when a neutron strikes it.

3. When a free neutron strikes the uranium nucleus, the process of "nuclear fission" begins. The uranium atom then has a nucleus plus a neutron.

4. The uranium atom begins to break into two or more smaller parts and also gives off two or three free neutrons.

5. The smaller particles are called "FP" (fission products) and are the remains of uranium fuel.

6. The newly-free neutrons are then able to strike other uranium nuclei, starting new fission processes. It is a chain reaction. This characteristic of nuclear fission is very important because today's nuclear reactors are able to absorb the desired number of these free neutrons, and thus control the reaction and also the energy generated by the fission process. This is the biggest difference between the "fusion" process because it is impossible to drive today's civil programmes with it.

7. When the uranium nucleus breaks, the process produces an extraordinary amount of heat. That heat is converted into electrical energy with the help of the nuclear power-generation facilities by several methods.

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