Whats nuclear fission?
Some types of heavy atoms have a nucleus that is unstable and will split apart automatically all by itself. This is called nuclear fission or ‘splitting the atom’. One such heavy atom is uranium-236 (236 refers to the number of particles in its nucleus). Uranium-236 is formed when an extra neutron joins the nucleus of an atom of uranium-235. The extra neutron makes the nucleus unstable and makes it likely to split into two or more smaller nuclei.
