Why is water a good moderator

When an incoming neutron causes the nucleus of an atom to split, other neutrons are released at very high speed. If at least one on average of these neutrons can be made to cause split another fuel atom, a sustained chain reaction is possible. So, many reactor designs use moderators to make a chain reaction easier to attain. Figure 1 The probability splitting a U nucleus vs.

Notice how much more probable fission is for slower neutrons. Also note logarithmic scale. Some materials are better at slowing down neutrons than others. Conservation of energy and momentum laws explain that a neutron mass 1 cannot slow down much after a collision with a heavy nucleus, like a fuel atom mass However, in a collision with Hydrogen mass 1 , a neutron can in fact slow down very far. Imagine a ping-pong ball bouncing off a bowling ball, as opposed to the same ping-pong ball colliding with another ping-pong ball.

Small quantities of Heavy Water have been used in clinical studies and treatment in infants, lactating women and adults without any reported adverse effect. It is getting popularized as adjuvant therapy for cancer.

It can readily absorb light water present in air as moisture. Skip to main content. What is Heavy Water? Head Office:. Call Us:. Email Us:. Officers X. How much uranium does it take to power an aircraft carrier? What is the cost of 1 kg of uranium? Is uranium illegal to own? Which is worth more uranium or gold? Are pearls worth more than gold? What is the most expensive material in the universe? What is the rarest material in the universe? Which is more costly than diamond?

What is the rarest metal in the world? What is the hardest metal on earth? What is the strongest metal in the world? Previous Article Are Go karts manual or automatic?

Next Article Why does my electric guitar keep going out of tune? Back To Top.