Nuclear energy is a fairly complex process, involving many detailed scientific processes Although nuclear energy can be confusing, understanding what nuclear energy is and the basic elements of nuclear energy is vital to understanding nuclear energy’s advantages and disadvantages. Nuclear energy begins with an element: uranium. While the use of other elements such as thorium in nuclear reactors have been hypothesized on, uranium is the main fuel used in the nuclear energy field. Uranium is a metallic element that is solid at room temperature and is naturally radioactive. (Gagnon, “The Element Uranium”) Uranium has several isotopes, but the isotope uranium-235 is the most notable isotope of uranium in the field of nuclear energy. It is highly fissionable and although it is …show more content…
Nuclear fission splits atoms, providing the huge burst of energy necessary to produce power. Nuclear fission occurs when a neutron strikes a large, unstable nucleus and the nucleus breaks down into 2 different atomic nuclei, more neutrons, and a large burst of energy. (Brünglinghaus) These stray neutrons then hit more unstable nuclei and the reactions continue, causing a chain reaction to occur. The enriched uranium fuel is highly unstable. When nuclear fission occurs inside the nuclear reactor, the uranium-235 atoms present in the enriched uranium split into smaller atoms and more neutrons, exerting vast amount of kinetic energy, which is translated into heat which powers the reactor. (“How Does Nuclear Energy Work?”). However, neutrons often move far too quickly to effectively split a nucleus, so the neutrons must be slowed to ensure effective fission. Moderators are used to slow down neutrons; moderators include graphite, heavy water—an isotope of normal water—, and normal water. (Gagnon, “The Element Uranium”) Enriched uranium atoms are split, with the assistance of moderators, deep in the heart of the nuclear