Video Transcript
What is the order of transfer of
the electrical energy generated by nuclear fission from the fuel rods through a
power plant? (A) Fuel rods, generator, reactor,
boiler, turbines. (B) Fuel rods, reactor, boiler,
turbines, generator. (C) Fuel rods, boiler, turbines,
generator, reactor. (D) Fuel rods, generator, boiler,
turbines, reactor. (E) Fuel rods, generator, turbines,
reactor, boiler.
Nuclear fission is a type of
nuclear reaction where the nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei. Nuclear fission is the kind of
reaction that’s used to generate electrical energy inside a nuclear power plant. This question is asking us to
determine the order of transfer of the energy generated by nuclear fission through a
power plant, in other words, the parts of the power plant that this energy goes
through before it can be used to power our homes and businesses. And we’re told that this process
starts with the fuel rods.
Fuel rods are metal tubes packed
with the fuel for the fusion reaction, uranium-235. The fuel rods are placed inside the
reactor. The reactor is full of water. The water inside the reactor will
heat up because of the energy given off during the fission reaction. The hot water is turned to steam
inside the boiler. The steam is used to spin a
turbine, and the spinning turbine generates electricity in a generator. So the order that the energy is
transferred through nuclear power plant is the fuel rods, the reactor, the boiler,
the turbine, and finally the generator. This matches answer choice (B).
