<em>Uranium</em> is the fuel mostly used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission. It is a common metal and can be found in many mountain ranges all over the world. Nuclear power plants use uranium U-235 for fuel because its atoms are easily split apart which is needed to produce energy.
Most uranium ore can be found in the West of the United States. The mineral has to be processed before it can be used for energy.
A nuclear fission is a process where the splitting atoms produce energy. Most nuclear power plants use uranium atoms. A neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it. As a result, energy in the form of heat and radiation is released.
