The concept of a nuclear chain reaction was reportedly first hypothesized by Hungarian scientist Leó Szilárd on September 12, 1933. It was understood that chemical chain reactions were responsible for exponentially increasing rates in reactions, such as produced in chemical explosions. A nuclear chain reaction releases several million times more energy per reaction than any chemical reaction.Ĭhemical chain reactions were first proposed by German chemist Max Bodenstein in 1913, and were reasonably well understood before nuclear chain reactions were proposed. The specific nuclear reaction may be the fission of heavy isotopes (e.g., uranium-235, 235U). In nuclear physics, a nuclear chain reaction occurs when one single nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more subsequent nuclear reactions, thus leading to the possibility of a self-propagating series of these reactions. However, one neutron does collide with an atom of uranium-235, which then fissions and releases two neutrons and more binding energy.ģ) Both of those neutrons collide with uranium-235 atoms, each of which fissions and releases a few neutrons, which can then continue the reaction. Another neutron leaves the system without being absorbed. When one nuclear reaction causes more A possible nuclear fission chain reaction:ġ) A uranium-235 atom absorbs a neutron, and fissions into two (fission fragments), releasing three new neutrons and a large amount of binding energy.Ģ) One of those neutrons is absorbed by an atom of uranium-238, and does not continue the reaction.
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