... the uranium-235 atom. Once struck by the neutron it splits into three neutrons and two nuclei and large amounts of radioactivity is released along with enormous amounts of energy. The other neutrons that were created from the original splitting of the uranium-235 atom can then hit other uranium-235 atoms causing them to split. This is known as a chain reaction. This reaction is very powerful and destructive. The equation that is used to express how fission of heavy atoms can produce energy, released as dangerously high levels of heat and radiation, is the famous equation E=mc squared. Albert Einstein published this theory in 1905. The equations states that m, a given mass, is associated with an amount of energy, E, which is equal to this mass multiplied by the speed of light, c, squared. To get an idea of how massive the explosion is in a chain reaction here is ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now