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The science of nuclear energy
The science of nuclear energy

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1.3.6 The early days of fission

The following video outlines the early days of induced fission and the development of nuclear reactors based on induced fission.

The timeline of development is:

  • In 1948 and 1951, electricity was first generated by a nuclear reactor in the US in two experiments.
  • In June 1954, the Soviet of City of Obninsk opened the world’s first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid.
  • In October 1956, the first full scale nuclear power station opened at Calder Hall in Cumbria, England.
Download this video clip.Video player: ou_futurelearn_nuclear_energy_vid_1024.mp4
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Next week, you will be examining nuclear power stations, how they function and some of the problems associated with them.