3-7 Nuclear Reactions: Fission (11.2 pg )

The process of splitting a larger nucleus into smaller nuclei is called nuclear fission.

Here is a ‘famous’ step-by-step example of fission from your text (please note the whole process is an example of artificial radioactivity): – Uranium-236 is not stable, and splits into 2 nuclei – We can write it like this:

This process produces lots of extra energy (Fig.1 p.314), since a small amount of the mass is released as pure energy. The energy can be used to power electric turbines because (which is used to boil water make steam and turn the turbine).

If you examine Table 1&2 p.315 (and maybe even read some of your textbook), you will see the ‘before and after’ of nuclear fission. Note the small amount of mass lost can produce a lot of power using Einstein’s equation (E=mc 2 ).

Nuclear fission can produce a lot of energy for ‘good’, but unfortunately can also be used to make a really powerful bomb. Only two nuclear bombs have ever been used in war, but had devastating consequences (Fig.2 p.316). They both were used on Japan at the end of World War II by Americans, and have never been used in a war since.