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Most nuclear power plants use thermal-neutron reactors. These reactors use what are called thermal or slow neutrons.

Water us used in the reactor as a neutron moderator. This means that the water slows down the more energetic, or fast, neutrons. The slower neutrons are more able to cause atoms to undergo fission. In other words, water is used to help control the reaction.

For the generation of electricity, the heat of the reaction boils water to produce steam to run the turbines. The turbines turn the generators.

About 60-65% of the heat of a typical nuclear power plant is waste energy. Water is used to cool the plant, and then it is put through heat exchangers to discharge the heat into the air or into some nearby lake, river, or ocean. The availability of water is a very important issue in siting a nuclear power plant, and is the reason almost all of them are placed near large bodies of water.

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