I. Nuclear Energy Basics

Nuclear fission is the process of splitting unstable atoms to release large amounts of atomic energy. Nuclear fuel for electricity generation is made up of small ceramic pellets of enriched uranium that are put into rods to create fuel assemblies. The fuel assemblies are then put into reactor vessels that create controlled chain reactions that split the atoms to release heat. The heat from this process is then used to boil water. The steam produced by the boiled water...