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If the water coolant level drops enough to expose fuel rods, the surface of those rods can then get hotter than the boiling point of water. The fuel pellets inside the rods are clad in zirconium metal, which when it gets hot enough will decompose water (both as liquid and as steam) into hydrogen and oxygen. As the hydrogen is lighter than air it accumulates as a "bubble" in the top of the reactor vessel.
Note: early reactors clad the fuel pellets with aluminum, but it decomposes water at a much lower temperature than does zirconium.
What else can I help you with?
Are the nuclear reactors the same processes occurring in the sun and reactors?
No. The sun produces energy by fusion. It is joining hydrogen atoms into larger helium atoms, which releases energy. Man-made nuclear reactors produce energy by fission. They break large atoms into smaller atoms, which also releases energy.
What kind of change is hydrogen to helium?
nuclear fusion of hydrogen to form helium
What fusion in stars occurs to create the element helium?
Hydrogen fusion occurs in stars to create helium. This process, known as nuclear fusion, involves the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to form helium nuclei, releasing large amounts of energy in the process.
How is helium formed from hydrogen?
It's called the proton-proton cycle. It's the source of the sun's energy. Also called nuclear fusion.
How can you combine 2 hydrogen atoms to form a helium atom?
Two hydrogen atoms can be combined through a nuclear fusion process to form a helium atom. This fusion process involves the two hydrogen atoms combining their nuclei to form a helium nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. This reaction is the core process that powers the sun and other stars.
Are the nuclear reactors the same processes occurring in the sun and reactors?
No. The sun produces energy by fusion. It is joining hydrogen atoms into larger helium atoms, which releases energy. Man-made nuclear reactors produce energy by fission. They break large atoms into smaller atoms, which also releases energy.
Is heavy water radioactive?
No, heavy water is not radioactive. It is a form of water where the hydrogen atoms are replaced with deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen. Heavy water is commonly used in nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator.
A form of pollution associated with nuclear power reactors is?
heat
Form of matter found in lighting bolts nuclear reactors and stars?
Plasma is the form of matter found in lightning bolts, nuclear reactors, and stars. It is a state of matter that consists of charged particles, such as electrons and ions, and is characterized by its high energy and conductivity.
What metal is mainly used to fuel nuclear reactors?
Uranium, but it is actually in oxide form, UO2
What kind of change is hydrogen to helium?
nuclear fusion of hydrogen to form helium
What is an hydrogen bomb?
A hydrogen bomb is a nuclear weapon that releases atomic energy by union of light(hydrogen) nuclear at high temperatures to form helium.
What is the Form of matter found in lighting bolts nuclear reactors and stars?
Lightning bolts are discharges of electricity. Nuclear reactors contain mainly uranium. Stars contain light elements undergoing nuclear fusion. I don't see any common form of matter.Actually, plasma is found in all of them.
Why do nuclear reactors use coolants?
Nuclear reactors use coolants (a main coolant) to keep form overheating, of course. They are also used totransfer the thermal energy (heat) generated by a reactor to the steam generating units.
Why are nuclear reactors so reliable?
Because they can be used to exterminate tiny kittens and some form of Arabs
What fuels are used in nuclear reactors?
Most reactors use uranium fuel enriched slightly to about 3-4 percent U-235, in the form of uranium dioxide UO2. Some older reactors used metallic natural uranium, while some other reactors use plutonium or a plutonium-uranium mix as fuel.
What prosses causes atars to give off heat and linght?
Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion are the reactions which enable stars to give off heat and light. Nuclear Fission: When a nucleus of an atom of heavy element splits is called nuclear fission. The principle used in Nuclear reactors. Uranium 255 is broken down to form krypton and lead. Nuclear Fusion: When nuclei of 2 or more light atoms fuse or join together is called nuclear fusion. The principle used in Hydrogen Bomb. Two Hydrogen atoms fuse together to form a Helium atom.
