Fission (Nuclear)
(this definition is directly borrowed
and any one of the underlined links below will take you to it)
Process where the mass of an atomic nucleus is made smaller by the
removal of subatomic particles. This process releases atomic
energy in the form of heat and electromagnetic radiation.
www.oup.co.uk/.../yoes/pictures/ atoms/fission/
The illustration above shows how fission reaction takes place. A single neutron added to a uranium-235
nucleus creates and unstable U-236, and boom, two lighter atoms are created
throwing off an additional three neutrons.
Now it only take one neutron with uranium-235 to create this reaction,
and with each reaction you get an additional three neutrons, this creates a
situation know as critical state.
Large amounts of energy are also released creating: Alpha decay, Beta decay, and Gamma decay.
www.hcc.mnscu.edu/.../abomb/ page_id_9332.html
These energy
releases due to fission are possible due to weight differences between the
neutrons and fission products combined weighing less than the original
U-235.
