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In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specifically, its nuclear fission cross-section), density, shape, enrichment, purity, temperature, and
May 15, 2024 · Learn the meaning of critical mass as a noun, with examples of usage and word history. Find out how to cite, share, and explore more words related to critical mass.
Critical mass is the minimum amount of fissile material for a self-sustaining fission chain reaction. Learn how it depends on the kind, concentration, and purity of the material, and the composition and geometry of the reaction system.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn the meaning of critical mass in physics and business contexts, with examples from the Cambridge English Corpus. Find out how to pronounce and translate critical mass in different languages.
Jan 3, 2021 · The concept of critical mass involves two competing effects. As nuclei fission, they emit secondary neutrons. A fundamental empirical law of nuclear physics, derived in Sect. 2.1, shows that while some neutrons will cause other fissions, the remainder will reach the surface of the mass and escape.
- Bruce Cameron Reed
- reed@alma.edu
- 2021
The critical mass of a fissionable substance is the minimum amount of fissionable material that will support a self-sustaining chain reaction. At this mass the neutrons released as a product of one fission reaction can cause neighboring atoms to fission.
Critical mass is the minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction in a nuclear reactor or bomb. Learn how subcritical and supercritical masses differ and see examples of critical mass in physics and other fields.
