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WHEN a Uranium-235 atom is hit by a neutron, it splits into fragments, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the form of heat, radioactivity and two or three fast neutrons. These fast neutrons, which fly out of the split atoms at high speed, are made to slow down so that they can hit other Uranium-235 atoms. This process is repeated and a chain reaction established. The reactor reaches criticality when a sustained chain reaction allows the generation of heat in a stable and sustained manner. The heat is used to drive turbines to produce electricity.
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