what is a nuclear reacter??

Answer 1

A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate (as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second, this reaction is completely uncontrolled).

Nuclear reactors are used for many purposes. The most significant current use is for the generation of electrical power. Research reactors are used for radioisotope production and for beamline experiments with free neutrons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reactor

Answer 2

It is basically a big tank filled with fissionable material, like uranium. Fission is where atoms break apart into smaller atoms. Since the size of the atom is what defines what kind of material the stuff is, what is happening is that uranium is changing into another metal. Uranium does this naturally all the time, even while it is in the ground before we dig it up. This splitting of atoms releases energy in the form of neutrons. Some of those neutrons can hit nearby uranium atoms and make them split sooner than they would have if nothing had hit them. This process is called a chain reaction. If enough uranium is gathered all in one place, it naturally fissions faster because there is more likelihood that a neutron will hit another uranium atom and cause it to split instead of hitting an atom of another type, maybe lead, that just won’t split. This produces more energy than would have been produced by the uranium just sitting in the ground all diluted by impurities. Too much pure uranium all in one small place causes a runaway chain reaction, where the energy gets higher, causing more neutrons to be released which split more uranium atoms which produces more neutrons, and so on, until it produces so much energy that it is a bomb. To make a bomb, you dig a bunch of uranium ore out of the ground, purify it highly, and suddenly squish it all into one place, usually by setting off a bunch of dynamite around it. To make a reactor, you dig uranium ore out of the ground, purify it a little, but not totally pure, and put it all in a tank so that there is enough all in one place to get hot, but not blow up. The heat is used to boil water and run a steam engine to turn an electric generator. The reaction is controlled by sliding bars or rods of a material that absorbs neutrons into the pile of uranium, which is designed with holes in it where the rods can slide in and out, interrupting the chain reaction. The usual material for the control rods is the metal cadmium. If all the rods are slid into the pile of uranium, it produces hardly any heat, like it would have just sitting in the ground as ore. If all the rods are pulled out, it gets really hot. The heat is controlled by how many rods are pushed into the pile.

Answer 3

Its a device used to control and coordinate a chain nuclear reaction.It is mainly used to convert nuclear reaction to energy of required type.

Answer 4

a nuclear reactor is a heat source used for generating energy. The heat source is created by causing atoms to fission therefore releasing energy (heat).

Answer 5

its what generates Nuclear power. its like a generator but instead of creating electricity it creates nuclear power from cells etc etc.