Nuclear power, a clean and reliable energy source, fuels millions of American homes daily. Generated through nuclear fission, this zero-emission process involves splitting uranium atoms to produce heat and sustain the reaction. Modern nuclear research focuses on enhancing reactor designs and fuel efficiency to meet global energy needs sustainably.
Heat is released in a nuclear reactor when atoms split, a process known as fission. Atoms, the building blocks of matter, are made of three particles — neutrons and protons which are bound together, forming what’s known as the nucleus of theNuclear reactors split atoms of uranium, a mildly radioactive element, to form heat. This process releases heat and neutrons. Some of these neutrons go on to collide with other uranium atoms, causing them to fission, which keeps the nuclear reaction going.