What Is Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is produced by quickly degrading certain materials at the molecular level. Known as fission, the idea is to create a violent reaction that will produce massive amounts of heat. The heat is then converted into power through various techniques. Most involve a process similar to hydropower, to wit, the expanding hot water turns turbines.

Nuclear power can only be produced using certain materials. Uranium is the most common one. Of course, uranium is also the most common element in nuclear weapons, which should give you insight into nuclear power production.

Boiled down to its fundamentals, nuclear energy is simple a controlled nuclear detonation. On the positive side, a very small amount of material produces a very large amount of electricity. On the negative side, that same small amount of material can produce horrendous damage when a power plant loses control of the nuclear fission process.

Nuclear fission is controlled by speeding up and slowing down the decay of the nuclear materials in a power plant. Placing inert rods between the nuclear material, which slows down or stops the reaction, often does this. If the rods malfunction because of mechanical or human error, the fission process can speed up to a point where it goes to fast for the surrounding materials.

Eventually, the systems fail and all control is lost. The fission reaction continues without limitation. Massive radiation is kicked out and the water in the system turns to super hot steam and explodes. This process is known as a meltdown. The explosions throw nuclear radiation into the atmosphere where it rains down wherever the winds take it.