ZingPath: Atomic Structure

Nuclear power plants are used to produce energy for people around the world. Some reactors use Uranium-235 because it is a fissionable atom, but it is also rare to find it naturally. (The more common form is Uranium-238, which does not generally undergo fission.) When a neutron hits this atom, the atomic forces inside the nucleus can no longer hold it together, and so it splits. When it fissions, it can split into barium and krypton, and also emits energy, gamma radiation, and several neutrons. If these neutrons collide with more Uranium-235, the fission process continues.

Inside a nuclear reactor, control rods can be used to moderate the rate of a fission reaction. When they are lowered into a container of Uranium-235, the control rods absorb the emitted neutrons, reducing the number of reactions taking place. When the number of reactions is reduced, less energy is produced.

Countries use nuclear fission to create enormous amounts of energy, which is used to heat water into steam. This steam rotates a turbine inside a generator, and this energy is converted into electrical energy. Although it does generate radioactive waste, it does not emit toxic or greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.