Question

The purpose of using heavy water in nuclear reactor is:

• A. to cool the reactor to room temperature
• B. to make the dynamo blades to work well
• C. to decrease the energy of fast neutrons
• D. to increase the energy released in nuclear fission

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

to decrease the energy of fast neutrons

Heavy water is used in certain types of nuclear reactors, where it acts as a neutron moderator to slow down neutrons so that they are more likely to react with the fissile uranium-235 than with uranium-238, which captures neutrons without fissioning.