Nuclear fuel energy release occurs when atoms are split, releasing radiation and heat to make steam. Which process is this?

• A. Fusion
• B. Fission
• C. Decay
• D. Transmutation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is energy release by splitting a heavy nucleus. When a heavy nucleus splits into lighter pieces, it releases a large amount of energy as heat and radiation. In a reactor, that heat is absorbed by a coolant and used to make steam, which then drives turbines to generate electricity. This splitting process is called fission.

Fusion would involve sticking light nuclei together, not splitting heavy ones, so it doesn’t fit the description. Radioactive decay is a spontaneous transformation that emits radiation but doesn’t rely on a deliberate split to produce the heat used to make steam. Transmutation is the change of one element into another and isn’t itself the primary mechanism for generating the heat used to form steam.