How Dangerous Nuclear Reactors Are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Dangerous Nuclear Reactors Are - Essay modellingThe most important thing is to have a thorough understanding of exactly what happens inside of a nuclear reactor. The kind of physical process that occurs within a nuclear reactor is called nuclear fission, and it is virtuoso of twain common forms of nuclear reaction. The other is called nuclear fusion, and that is what is used in most modern atomic bombs, and wont be discussed extensively here. Each kind of reaction revolves around changing a single atom fission is the splitting of one atom into two, whereas fusion is the combining of two atoms into a new one. Every atom is made of three parts neutrons, protons, and electrons. Each of these has a charge protons be positively charged, and attract negatively charged electrons. Neutrons have no charge. Neutrons are naturally occurring parts of atoms that hold out in every element usually, in that location are just as many neutrons as there are protons in any given element. Th ey are very heavy and give most elements virtually half(prenominal) of their total weight. If you look at your body in terms of atomic weight, about half of it would be made of neutrons. The three parts of atoms, protons, electrons, and neutrons, exist in a balance of atoms that make up the things that we see around us. They exist in a balance because whenever they become unbalanced, they break down or recombine in a more balanced form. Think of a coin standing on its edge in small form will cause it to fall so that one of the two sides is flat against the ground, but once it falls it wont move or change as easily as it originally did. Atoms are like this they are in a stable feature because if they werent, they couldnt last very long. Changing one of the elements, either protons, neutrons or electrons, however, creates an unbalanced atom that wants to change to become balanced again.