Question

Describe the nature and purpose of these components of a nuclear reactor:(b) moderator;

Answer 1

The moderator of a nuclear reactor is a substance that slows neutrons down. In traditional nuclear reactors, the moderator is the same thing as the coolant: it’s water! When fast neutrons strike the hydrogen atoms in H2O, they slow down a lot (like a billiard ball striking another). There are other good moderators like graphite, beryllium, and more.

What is moderator ?

Other neutrons are released at extremely high speeds when an incoming neutron splits an atom's nucleus. A sustained chain reaction is achievable if at least one (on average) of these neutrons can be made to split another fuel atom. In fact, if a neutron is traveling slowly, fuel atoms (like uranium) are more likely to absorb it (see Figure 1). In order to make a chain reaction easier to achieve, moderators are used in many reactor designs.

Neutrons can be slowed down more effectively in some materials than others. Because of the rules of conservation of energy and momentum, a neutron (mass 1) colliding with a heavy nucleus like a fuel atom cannot significantly slow down (mass 235).

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