Chicago Pile-1

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chicago-pile-1

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Under the west viewing stands of Stagg Field, University of Chicago
2. What is the date of first self-sustaining chain reaction?December 2, 1942
3. Where was Chicago Pile-1 built?It was built in the concrete bleachers of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. The location was chosen because of secrecy and urgency during World War II.
4. How did Chicago Pile-1 start a nuclear chain reaction?On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi and his team arranged 45,000 graphite blocks and uranium so that neutrons kept multiplying. This created a self‑sustaining reaction that lasted for a few seconds.

Nuclear Fission: The process where the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, releasing energy.
Self-Sustaining Nuclear Chain Reaction: A nuclear reaction where the fission of one atom releases enough neutrons to cause the fission of subsequent atoms, continuing the process.
Neutron Moderator: A material used in nuclear reactors to slow down fast neutrons, increasing the probability of further fission events.
Criticality: The state in a nuclear reactor where the chain reaction is self-sustaining, with an average of one neutron from each fission causing another fission.