Consider the following statements:
I. Control rods are used in a nuclear reactor to adjust the power and prevent the reaction from becoming supercritical.
II. Control rods in a nuclear reactor are made of a material that absorbs neutrons.
III. To obtain energy from a nuclear reactor, the fission reaction must be supercritical. Which of the following choices is correct?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Statement I is true, as control rods are used to regulate the power output of a nuclear reactor and prevent it from becoming supercritical. Statement II is also true, as the control rods are generally made of materials such as boron or cadmium, which are effective neutron absorbers. However, statement III is false, as a supercritical reaction would lead to a runaway chain reaction and a potentially catastrophic release of energy. In a nuclear reactor, the fission reaction is maintained at a subcritical level, but with enough neutron flux to sustain a controlled and sustained generation of heat.

Consider the Following Statements