Nuclear fuel

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Nuclear fuel is any substance which is used by nuclear reactors or other nuclear devices as fuel to generate energy. Nuclear fuel contains fissile material, such as uranium, which undergoes nuclear fission in a reactor. The heat energy released by the fission of nuclear fuel can be converted into electricity in a nuclear power station. Unlike chemical fuels, which release energy via a chemical reaction, nuclear fuels release energy via a nuclear reaction, and have much higher energy density than chemical fuels. The energy released by the fission of one uranium-235 atom is about 100 million times greater than the energy released by burning one carbon atom in air to produce CO2. A single uranium fuel pellet used in a light-water reactor produces more heat than burning one ton of coal.

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