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.
Transcript (opens in new window)

Next week, you will be examining nuclear power stations, how they function and some of the problems associated with them.

OpenLearn - The science of nuclear energy
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