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The more protons and neutrons that are present in an atom's nucleus, the more energy it takes to hold the nucleus together against the electrical repulsive force. If we cause the nucleus to split into two lighter atoms, then each of the "child" nuclei require less energy to hold them together - and a tiny bit of that "binding energy" is left over and is released.

"A tiny bit" of energy multiplied by an enormous number of split atoms adds up to a whole lot of heat. Carefully controlled, this heat can be used to boil water, which spins turbines, which generates electricity. An uncontrolled reaction can melt the reactor, or even cause an explosion.

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