Q.Which is used as a moderator in a nuclear reactor?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Heavy water (D2O) is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors because deuterium nuclei slow down fast neutrons by elastic collision while absorbing very few of them.
In a nuclear fission reactor, fast neutrons released by fission must be slowed to 'thermal' speeds so they can efficiently trigger further fission in fuel like U-235. A moderator does this by elastic collisions with light nuclei. D2O (heavy water) is an effective moderator because deuterium (mass close to a neutron) slows neutrons efficiently while having a very low neutron-capture cross-section. (Note: the paper's own option (b) prints 'V-235', which looks like a typesetting slip for the reactor fuel …
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