Physics SL
5
Chapters
329
Notes
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Theme D - Fields
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
Physics SL
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
Understanding Neutron Moderation In Power Stations
679 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
What's a Moderator?
- A moderator is like a bouncer for neutrons; it slows down their wild dances. 😉
- Why slow them down? So they can
- Help stimulate more fissions.
- Transfer their energy to the power station efficiently.
Common Moderators in PWRs (Pressurized Water Reactors)
- 💧 Water (H2O)
- 🌊 Heavy Water (D2O or Deuterium Oxide)
- ✏️ Graphite (Carbon)
How does this Moderation Magic Happen?
- Picture a neutron as a hyper kid running around a playground.
- When this kid (neutron) bumps into another kid (moderator atom), he slows down a bit (loses some energy).
- After many such playful collisions, our neutron kid is tired enough (at thermal speeds) and can join a new game (cause further fission).
Conservation of Momentum
- When a neutron has a head-on collision with a stationary carbon atom (like two bumper cars crashing), both the cars (neutron and carbon atom) need to balance out their speeds.
- Fancy formula to show this
- ΔEk = 4mM / (m + M)2 * Ek
- Here's a fun way to think about different collisions
- Hydrogen: It's like the neutron crashes into a wall! It stops and the wall (hydrogen) takes all the neutron's energy.
- Deuterium: It's like bumping into a slightly softer wall. Most, but not all, of the energy is transferred.
- Carbon: Imagine a mild shove – that's what the neutron feels. It retains a good chunk of its energy.
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Physics SL
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
Understanding Neutron Moderation In Power Stations
679 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
What's a Moderator?
- A moderator is like a bouncer for neutrons; it slows down their wild dances. 😉
- Why slow them down? So they can
- Help stimulate more fissions.
- Transfer their energy to the power station efficiently.
Common Moderators in PWRs (Pressurized Water Reactors)
- 💧 Water (H2O)
- 🌊 Heavy Water (D2O or Deuterium Oxide)
- ✏️ Graphite (Carbon)
How does this Moderation Magic Happen?
- Picture a neutron as a hyper kid running around a playground.
- When this kid (neutron) bumps into another kid (moderator atom), he slows down a bit (loses some energy).
- After many such playful collisions, our neutron kid is tired enough (at thermal speeds) and can join a new game (cause further fission).
Conservation of Momentum
- When a neutron has a head-on collision with a stationary carbon atom (like two bumper cars crashing), both the cars (neutron and carbon atom) need to balance out their speeds.
- Fancy formula to show this
- ΔEk = 4mM / (m + M)2 * Ek
- Here's a fun way to think about different collisions
- Hydrogen: It's like the neutron crashes into a wall! It stops and the wall (hydrogen) takes all the neutron's energy.
- Deuterium: It's like bumping into a slightly softer wall. Most, but not all, of the energy is transferred.
- Carbon: Imagine a mild shove – that's what the neutron feels. It retains a good chunk of its energy.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Physics SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟
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