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What caused the Chernobyl nuclear plant reactor to explode?
Mcsidney123
it happened because of the overload of power because one of the other power plants on the circuit had a breakdown. night time staff where never told not to do the experiment because there was a risk the power plant could and would explode.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoSystems tests were being carried out on one of the nuclear reactors, as it was reduced to low power. Other events affected the test schedule, and errors resulted in the reactor being destabilised to some degree. However, the tests were begun once a stable output was achieved, but crucial safety measures were unavailable due to the errors and previous activation of several simple safety triggers.
A power surge occurred and an emergency shutdown was attempted; this resulted in a further and more extreme power surge and made the reactor vessel (containing the cores, cooling fluid and control rods) rupture, exposing the hot graphite rods.
Graphite is made of carbon, and when it entered the air, the rods caught fire. This caused several explosions, which sent large amounts of radioactive material from the ruptured core into the atmosphere. Weather patterns resulted in the cloud of material drifting all across eastern and central Europe.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago- Design Errors
- Operator Errors
- Bureaucratic pressure to meet schedule at all costs
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What happend in chernobyl?
there was a meltdown at a nuclear plant that caused irrevoable damage and nuclear posioning for generations to come. It is still considered dangerous to go there.
Do atomic bombs explode on impact of ground?
Some atomic bombs explode on impact, most explode in the air for maximum destruction caused by the explosion spreading out over a wider area.
Can footballs explode?
Footballs can definitely explode if they are under great pressure. This pressure is often caused by exposing the football to extremely high temperatures.
What was the name of the Soviet nuclear power plant that exploded and is considered to be the greatest nuclear disaster ever?
Chernobyl. And while it IS regarded as the worst nuclear disaster, in terms of long-term consequences, we are actually begining to discover that many of the supposedly radiation-caused illnesses are actually the result of an extremely high level of impurities, especially Lead in the water supply, and not actually the result of radiation poisoning as originally suspected. But, the jury is not in just yet.
What consequences resulted from the incident at Three Mile Island and the one at Chernobyl?
First of all, the accident at Chernobyl was many many many times worse than Three Mile Island. At Chernobyl the reactor was blown apart by a steam pressure surge, so that a lot of very active material was ejected from the reactor, air ingress caused the graphite to burn, and much of the fuel melted. As there was no secondary containment, radioactive material from the fuel spread all over the site and its surroundings. This is just about the worst thing that can happen to a reactor. I think 47 total died quickly, all operators or fire and rescue people, from radiation sickness. There were also 7 child thyroid cancer deaths. As far as the long term effects are concerned, I believe they were exaggerated in early predictions, but of course development of cancers can take many years, so the true consequences won't be known for some years yet, and one must be careful to separate extra cancers from what would occur in any large population, in assessing this. At Three Mile Island there was a partial meltdown due to loss of coolant, and some activity was released, but much less than at Chernobyl. Assessment of health effects showed no effects on the local population. The reactor of course was a complete write off and a dead loss to the owners. See links given below
What caused the Chernobyl disaster?
this was rote by amandaTHE Chernobyl Disaster was caused by a reactor.
What are the causes of nuclear disasters?
Most nuclear fallouts were caused by mismanagement of a nuclear reaction/reactor (such as chernobyl), though the Japanese fallouts were the cause of a last ditch effort to cripple the Japanese in their efforts to aid their coalition, the Axis of Evil, to which our current president has often made mention.
How is nuclear pollution caused?
It can be caused by reactor accidents that release radioactivity, like the Chernobyl disaster. Fortunately that type of incident is most unlikely with the US and EU designs of reactors. It can also be caused by nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, but these are now banned by international agreement
What event caused many Americans to woory about nuclear power?
what event caused many Americans to worry about nuclear power
What is a dangerous condition caused by overheating inside a nuclear reactor?
The dangerous condition that can occur in a nuclear reactor and due to overheating is a nuclear meltdown.
What are some examples of nuclear disaster?
Some examples of nuclear disasters include the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 where a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded, releasing a significant amount of radioactive material. Another example is the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, where a series of equipment failures and a tsunami caused meltdowns at multiple reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. These disasters have had long-lasting environmental and health impacts.
How was the explosion of Chernobyl caused?
It was caused during an experiment on the plant, when the reactor became unstable and this caused a surge in steam pressure which blew off the top of the reactor and ejected active material like fuel and graphite. There followed a reactor fire as the graphite moderator was exposed to the atmosphere.
What is a Dangerous condition caused by overheating in a nuclear reactor?
Melting of the fuel
Dangerous condition caused by overheating inside a nuclear reactor?
Meltdown
What happen at chernobyl?
In 1986, a failed test led to its reactor being shutdown. This caused a large explosion that sent out harmful levels of radiation throughout the community. Everyone who lived in Chernobyl was forced to immediately evacuate the area with no possible return.
Can an improperly managed nuclear plant explode like a nuclear weapon?
No. A nuclear weapon requires a critical amount of highly enriched fuel to be rapidly brought together to cause a sudden explosion. Nuclear plants use low enriched fuel which could never cause a nuclear explosion, and this fuel is dispersed through the reactor in any case so it could not suddenly come together. Any nuclear plant explosions (like Chernobyl) are caused by the presence of high pressure steam and water circuits, not the fact of it being a nuclear plant, though certainly if there is an explosion of a pressure circuit and hence a loss of coolant, and disruption of the nuclear reactor, radioactivity may escape from the plant. This is the chief preoccupation of designers and operators, to keep the plant safe and prevent this ever happening.
What is a dangerous conditions caused by overheating inside of reactor called?
This sounds like a nuclear core meltdown, reactor meltdown, or just a meltdown.
