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Nuclear Fission

Provided by: Cognito |Published on: April 27, 2021

Videos

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Synopsis

This video from Cognito explains the basics of nuclear fission and presents the pros and cons of producing energy with nuclear reactors.
Students will learn about chain reactions and how they can be controlled within a nuclear reactor.

Subjects: Physics

Authors: Cognito

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

The slow pacing of this video will help students to grasp the material without feeling rushed.
Simple illustrations make the video very easy to follow.

Prerequisites

This video begins with an advertisement.
The video refers to "a nuclei" (0:10), which ought to be "a nucleus" since nuclei is the plural form of nucleus.
Students should be familiar with the terms nuclei, neutron, and turbine.

Differentiation & Implementation

Physics classes can learn more about nuclear energy by listening to this podcast episode and watching this video.
Social studies, economics, or science classes can use this resource from Our World in Data to see how nuclear energy usage compares to fossil fuels and renewable energy. As an extension, students could compare the three types of energy based on cost, ease of production, and impact on the environment.
History classes can use this video to discuss the discovery of and subsequent uses for nuclear fission.
Other resources on this topic include this video on nuclear fission and this interactive map that shows where in the world nuclear energy is being produced.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.