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Unit 7: Astrophysics Page 24
and two protons bound together. Atomic bombs get their explosive
However, U-235 is one of the few energy solely from the core of the
materials that can undergo fission atom. An atom by itself usually
both naturally and artificially, so doesn't spontaneously split - you
it's a great choice for nuclear need to have a certain amount
power plants. If a naked neutron (called the critical mass) in order
zipping along by itself suddenly to start the fission process. In an
runs into the nucleus of a U-235 atomic bomb, they separate a
atom, the neutron gets absorbed small chunk of material (usually
by the core, which cases the atom plutonium or uranium) from the
to be unstable and split main lump so that the resulting
immediately. lump mass is slightly less than the
critical mass (so it doesn't explode
Are Nuclear Weapons before you want it to). The
Different from Nuclear removed chunk is placed in a
Power Plants? shotgun-looking device that will
fire directly into sub-critical-mass
Yes. Nuclear weapons allow the lump when triggered.
explosive energy in the atom to Another way to get
essentially run rampant, while the reaction started
power plants harness the atomic is to detonate high-
energy to heat water. The two energy chemical
types of nuclear weapons use reactions all around the lump of
energy from either fission (atomic material, compressing it until it
bombs or A-bombs) or fusion splits on its own.
(hydrogen bombs or H-bombs).
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