Today we visited the MIT nuclear Reactor. It was upgraded in 1975. It produces 5 mega watt of thermal power. It also produces no greenhouse gasses. The reactor is 2 ft tall and its fuel is good for 3 years. The way this reactor works is called fission. Instead of burning coal, releasing so much energy and harming the environment, the nuclear power is an easier way out.

The MIT reactor has a center of the metalic element Uranium 235. Uranium is used because it has the biggest mass out of all the elements. A neutron is sent to Uranium 235. This makes Uranium have too much neutrons, so the nucleus becomes unstable and then it splits apart. The strong nuclear force that holds Uranium together is no longer needed and comes out in form of energy.

The nuclear waste should be recycled and reused for fuel. People have not done this in US because none of the states wants the nuclear power plants. Nuclear waste and recycle has been a big political problem. Also nuclear power plants are managed to not affect people and not go to the atmosphere because they can be really harmful.