A nuclear chain reaction occurs when one nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more nuclear reactions, thus leading to a self-propagating series of these reactions. The specific nuclear reaction may be the fission of heavy isotopes (e.g. 235U) or the fusion of light isotopes (e.g. 2H and 3H). The nuclear chain reaction releases several million times more energy per reaction than any chemical reaction.
Read more about Nuclear Chain Reaction: History, Fission Chain Reaction, Nuclear Weapons Application of Neutron Multiplication, Nuclear Power Plants and Control of Chain Reactions
Famous quotes containing the words nuclear, chain and/or reaction:
“You cant be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airlineit helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (19401993)
“A chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and life is after all a chain.”
—William James (18421910)
“Christianity was only a very strong and singularly well-timed Salvation Army movement that happened to receive help from an unusual and highly dramatic incident. It was a Puritan reaction in an age when, no doubt, a Puritan reaction was much wanted; but like all sudden violent reactions, it soon wanted reacting against.”
—Samuel Butler (18351902)