What: The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was an extremely experiment conducted by Enrico Fermi in 1942. The reactor, also known as the Chicago Pile-1, was assembled in November 1942, by a team that included Fermi and many other physicists. It contained 45,000 graphite blocks utilized as neutron moderators, and was fueled by 6 short tons of uranium metal and 50 short tons of uranium oxide. If the process is done correctly, which it did, then nuclear fission will occur and additional free neutrons will be released. When: Enrico Fermi produced the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on December 2, 1942. During December of 1942, World War ll was occurring and more specifically on this day, there was fighting in Tunisia, as German forces were being pushed into the final North African corner. Where: The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was conducted at the University of Chicago, under the west viewing stands of the Stagg Field. …show more content…
In the process, two or three more neutrons are released. Enrico Fermi controlled the nuclear reaction by adjusting the number of neutrons produced. Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1) became the world's first artificial nuclear reactor. Its construction was included in the Manhattan Project, a classified military project created in order to produce a nuclear weapon during World War II. The Chicago Pile-1 was constructed by the Manhattan Project's Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of