Why does lowering the control rods in a nuclear reactor reduce the amount of energy released each second from the nuclear fuel?
The boron control rods absorb slow-moving neutrons (thermal neutrons), which means that there are less available neutrons in the reactor. Since nuclear fission requires a collison between a neutron and a uranium nucleus, less neutrons means less fission reactions taking place. Hence, the rate of energy production decreases.
LC
Related Physics GCSE answers
All answers ▸A car driver has to make an emergency stop. The braking distance depends on the speed of the car. For the same braking force, what happens to the braking distance if the speed doubles?
What is a convection current?
Matt weighs 60kg and his son, Rob weighs 30kg. They both run a 100m race and finish the race running at 5m/s. Who has more Kinetic Energy at the end of the race?
Why do we say that objects moving in a circle have acceleration even if their speed remains constant?