The Events Leading Up To The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

April 26, 1986 was devastating for the Chernobyl nuclear plant. The explosion of their newest reactor is by far the worst nuclear accident to occur in history. The reactor used at the time was not as safe as it was credited to be; moreover, the operators of the systems were seemingly oblivious to their procedures, not sticking to regulations or guidelines. This led to a disaster of large proportions. To know the events leading up to the explosion, however, you must understand the basics of how a nuclear reactor works.
A nuclear reactor consists of a core. The core contains fuel that powers nuclear reactions. It is comprised of three parts: the fuel, the moderator, and the fuel rods. A chain reaction of nuclear fission generates heat

Because of this, the water is not moving fast enough and it begins boiling. The bubbles of steam reduce the coolants ability to absorb neutrons. Steam is beginning to build up as well as power. Power sustains for the moment due to xenon buildup in the reactor’s core. Control rods are being pulled out further than regulations allow, creating instability in the reactor, and the core fills with water. The boiling of water in the core increases, boosting power. 1:23 in the morning, the emergency shutdown signals and the control rods are drop into the core, creating the opposite effect of what the rods are meant to do. The control rods seize at two meters, the full depth the rods must travel to stop the core from reacting is seven meters. The operator disconnects the control rods from their servos, hoping they fall into place by their weight, but the rods do not move. The coolant pumps had fail and water is no longer flowing through the

The radioactive fuel inside the reactor disintegrates and the buildup of pressurized steam leads to the first explosion, lifting the thousand ton lid to which the reactor was fastened. The spread of radiation starts, four hundred times worse than the radiation exposure released from the Hiroshima bombing. Air seeps into the reactor where a graphite fire starts, adding to the spread of radioactivity. The metal from the fuel tubes reacts with the radioactive water, creating a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction produces hydrogen, which creates the second large