What is the main purpose of control rods in a thermal nuclear reactor?
to slow down fast-moving neutrons to thermal speeds
to absorb neutrons to regulate the rate of fission
to transfer thermal energy from the core to the steam generators
to shield the external environment from harmful radiation
128 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Radioactivity (A-level only), covering Rutherford scattering (A-level only), $\alpha$ , $\beta$ and $\gamma$ radiation (A-level only), Radioactive decay (A-level only), Nuclear instability (A-level only), Nuclear radius (A-level only), Mass and energy (A-level only), Induced fission (A-level only), and Safety aspects (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.