Inducing fission with a slow neutron
Inducing fission with a slow neutron
Induced fission is when a heavy nucleus is made to split by absorbing a neutron. For uranium-235, a slow neutron is absorbed to form unstable 92236U{}^{236}_{92}\text{U}92236​U, which then breaks into two smaller nuclei, several neutrons, and energy.
Step-by-step lessons on AQA A Level Physics Induced fission (A-level only). Each one builds up to exam-style questions. Physics is one of the most mathematically demanding A Levels -- at least 40% of the marks require maths skills at Level 2 (GCSE) standard or above, so build calculation and graph-handling fluency alongside the conceptual content from the start.