Key Stage 4
Meaning
A fuel rod is a cylindrical object containing a fissionable isotope for use in nuclear reactors.
About Fuel Rods
- Fuel Rods usually contain around 20% Uranium-235 which can undergo nuclear fission following the capture of a neutron to become Uranium-236.
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In nuclear fission reactors unstable isotopes are in fuel rods
The fuel rods in a nuclear reactor are slim to allow neutrons to escape the fuel rods easily. This prevents a single fuel rod from sustaining a chain reaction. The fuel rods are placed next to each other so that the neutrons released by one fuel rod are absorbed by another fuel rod. This also allows them to have control rods placed between them to stop the reaction. |