Vocabulary related to nuclear energy

• chain reaction: a process which a set of reactions that make nuclear fission self-sustaining
• control rod: a cylindrical rod that is usually made of boron or cadmium. It can be moved in and out of an atomic core that absorbs neutrons and controls the power of fissions
• radioactive decay: when a radioactive atom's nucleus gives off a burst of nuclear radiation, it changes the nucleus to a different nucleus of an atom that is different
• decommissioning: the process of shutting down and dismantling or/and making safe a nuclear power plant that is disused
• half-life: the length of time taken for a substance that is radioactive to decay to half of its original intensity( radioactivity)
• isotopes: different forms of the same atom like uranium-235. The number represents the total of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
• moderator: a substance like water or graphite in the core of a nuclear reactor to slow down the speed of fast-moving neutrons to a speed that they can be most efficiently split
• plutonium: a radioactive element that is produced from the uranium isotope, uranium-238, inside a breeder reactor. It has some isotopes, half-lives up to 76 million years, and is very poisonous
• radioactivity: the result of unstable elements breaking down or decomposing into other elements. The result is tiny particles and radiation that can be dangerous
• reprocessing: taking used nuclear fuel and extracting it from unused uranium and plutonium by-products and can be used again
• repository: a safe storage area deep underground where nuclear waste is stored for thousands of years safely
• safestore: seals in radioactivity for items using a "concrete coffin"