Nuclear power

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/nuclear-power

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 primary process?Nuclear fission, the controlled splitting of heavy atomic nuclei
2. What is the key fuel isotope?Uranium-235 (U-235) is the most commonly used fissile material
3. What is nuclear power and how does it make electricity?Nuclear power uses the splitting of uranium-235 atoms in a reactor. The split releases heat, which turns water into steam. The steam spins a turbine that drives a generator to produce electricity.
4. Why do nuclear power plants use uranium-235?Uranium-235 can split when hit by a neutron, releasing energy and more neutrons. This ability starts a controlled chain reaction that keeps the reactor running.

Nuclear Fission: The nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits into lighter nuclei, releasing energy and neutrons.