Nuclear reactor

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-reactor

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 Nuclear reactor known for?Commercial reactors provide 9% of the global electricity supply
2. What is the first sustained fission chain reaction?Achieved on December 2, 1942, at Chicago Pile-1
3. What is the primary fissile materials?Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239
4. How does a nuclear reactor make electricity?When atoms split inside a reactor, they give off heat. That heat can be used to make electricity.
5. Why do nuclear reactors use neutron absorbers and moderators?Neutron absorbers reduce the number of neutrons, while moderators slow them down. Together they keep the chain reaction steady and safe.

Nuclear Fission: The process where the nucleus of an atom splits, releasing substantial energy and neutrons.
Chain Reaction: A self-propagating sequence of nuclear fissions, where neutrons released from one fission event trigger subsequent fissions.
Neutron Moderator: A material used to slow down fast neutrons, increasing their likelihood of causing fission in fissile materials.
Fissile Material: An isotope capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction with neutrons of any energy.