11. Results
• ≈ 200 MeV is released per fission
• Most of this becomes kinetic energy of fission
fragments
• A room temperature atom has about 1/40 eV
kinetic energy -- fission fragments have
400,000,000 times that energy!
• Punchline: fission fragments are hot
19. • Something that is radioactive
emits radiation
• Radiation is energy traveling
trough space (light,
microwaves, x-rays, gamma
rays, etc.)
• Radioactive materials decay
into non-radioactive materials
• Spent nuclear fuel becomes
less radioactive over time
doe.gov
20. Cooling Tower Reactor Containment
Building
http://flickr.com/photos/thespeak/150544424/