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HOW DO NUCLEAR REACTORS WORK? 

A nuclear reactor creates energy by splitting atoms of uranium.

The energy released from these atoms is then used to boil water. 

This, in turn, drives a turbine.  

A reactor core contains the uranium pellets and a 1000 megawatts (MWe) facility would have about 75 tonnes of enriched uranium.

Uranium-235 is bombarded with neutrons to split the atom, which then creates different elements or another isotope of Uranium. 

Either way, it releases energy. 

These often also undergo radioactive decay and a chain reaction is triggered - contributing to the net energy output. 

Steam is produced, condensed and then recycled so the only waste products are often the radioactive compounds created from the fission. 

Control rods can be added or removed from the reactor core to either increase or decrease the rate of reaction. 

These are made of stable elements such as boron, silver, indium and cadmium that are capable of absorbing many neutrons without undergoing fission.   

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