Critical mass is the minimum mass of fissile material needed to maintain a sustained nuclear chain reaction.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the critical mass in nuclear fission?
Solution: Critical mass is the minimum mass of fissile material needed to maintain a sustained nuclear chain reaction.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what nuclear fission is. It is a process where the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, releasing energy.
Step 2: Learn about fissile material. This is a type of material that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction, like uranium-235 or plutonium-239.
Step 3: Know what a chain reaction is. It happens when the splitting of one nucleus causes other nuclei to split, continuing the process.
Step 4: Identify critical mass. It is the smallest amount of fissile material needed to keep the chain reaction going.
Step 5: Realize that if you have less than the critical mass, the reaction will stop. If you have enough, the reaction can continue and produce a lot of energy.
