Leó Szilárd

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/le-szilrd

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. When was Leó Szilárd born?February 11, 1898
2. Where was Leó Szilárd born?Budapest, Hungary
3. What is the related topics?Nuclear physics, Manhattan Project, arms control, scientific ethics, invention
4. What did Leó Szilárd invent that helped create nuclear power and weapons?He imagined the nuclear chain reaction, where one atom splitting releases more neutrons that keep the reaction going. This idea became the basis for both nuclear power plants and atomic bombs.
5. Why did Szilárd move from Hungary to the United States?He was Jewish and feared the danger of Nazism. In 1937 he left Hungary and settled in the U.S. to stay safe and continue his science.

Nuclear Chain Reaction: A process where neutrons released from nuclear fission trigger further fissions, leading to a self-sustaining release of energy.
Nuclear Fission: The splitting of an atomic nucleus, typically into two smaller nuclei, releasing a large amount of energy.
Arms Control: International agreements and efforts aimed at limiting the production, proliferation, and use of weapons, especially nuclear ones.