Nuclear Fission - History, From Uranium Fission To Chain Reaction, The Manhattan Project, 1942-1945, Nuclear Reactors For Electric Power Production
war energy release
Nuclear fission is a process in which the nucleus of an atom splits, usually into two pieces. This reaction was discovered when a target of uranium was bombarded by neutrons. Fission fragments were shown to fly apart with a large release of energy. The fission reaction was the basis of the atomic bomb, which was developed by the United States during World War II. After the war, controlled energy release from fission was applied to the development of nuclear reactors. Reactors are utilized for production of electricity at nuclear power plants, for propulsion of ships and submarines, and for the creation of radioactive isotopes used in medicine and industry.
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The fission reaction was discovered in l938 by two German scientists, Otto Hahn (1879-1968) and Fritz Strassmann (1902-1980). They had been doing a series of experiments in which they used neutrons to bombard various elements. If they bombarded copper, for example, a radioactive form of copper was produced. Other elements became radioactive in the same way. When uranium was bombarded with neutrons…
Through fission, neutrons of low energy can trigger off a very large energy release. With the imminent threat of war in l939, a number of scientists began to consider the possibility that a new and very powerful "atomic bomb" could be built from uranium. Also, they speculated that uranium perhaps could be harnessed to replace coal or oil as a fuel for industrial power plants. Nuclear…
General Leslie R. Groves was put in charge of the project to convert the chain reaction experiment into a usable military weapon. Three major laboratories were built under wartime conditions of urgency and secrecy. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, became the site for purifying and separating uranium into bomb-grade material. At Hanford, Washington, four large reactors were built to produce another possible b…
The first nuclear reactor designed for producing electricity was put into operation in 1957 at Shippingsport, Pennsylvania. From l960 to l990, more than 100 nuclear power plants were built in the United States. These plants now generate about 20% of the nation's electric power. World-wide, there are over 400 nuclear power stations. The most common reactor type is the pressurized water react…
There are vehement arguments for and against nuclear power. The various advantages and problems should be thoroughly aired so that the general public can evaluate for itself whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Additional electric power plants will be required in the future to supply a growing world population that desires a higher standard of living. All methods of producing electricity have …
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