Which of the following statements is/are true of nuclear fission?
1) For the nuclear fission process to be self-sustaining, at least one neutron from each fission event must go on to split another nucleus.2. If more than one neutron from each nuclear fission event causes another fission event, the process dies out and the reaction is said to be subcritical.3. A fission bomb operates by suddenly combining two subcritical masses of fissionable material to form a supercritical mass.
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 3 only
D) 2 and 3
E) 1 and 3

Question

Which of the following statements is/are true of nuclear fission?
1) For the nuclear fission process to be self-sustaining, at least one neutron from each fission event must go on to split another nucleus.2. If more than one neutron from each nuclear fission event causes another fission event, the process dies out and the reaction is said to be subcritical.3. A fission bomb operates by suddenly combining two subcritical masses of fissionable material to form a supercritical mass.
A) ​1 only
B) ​2 only
C) ​3 only
D) ​2 and 3
E) ​1 and 3

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is true as it is a basic requirement for a sustained chain reaction in nuclear fission. 
Statement 2 is also true as if more than one neutron from each fission event causes more than one additional fission event, the reaction will rapidly become uncontrollable, leading to a nuclear explosion. 
Statement 3 is true as this is the principle behind the design of a fission bomb where two subcritical masses are brought together to form a supercritical mass, leading to a very rapid chain reaction resulting in an explosion. Therefore, statement 2 and 3 are true, and the correct choice is E, which includes statements 1 and 3.

Which of the Following Statements Is/are True of Nuclear Fission