What is Nuclear fuel?
[[File:Uranium2.jpg|thumb|200px|A sample of [[uranium]] ore.]] '''Nuclear fuel''' is a material that can be consumed in a [[nuclear reaction]] to produce [[nuclear energy]], by analogy to chemical [[fuel]] that is burned for energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available. Most nuclear fuels contain heavy ''fissile'' elements. When their nucleus splits they emit enough [[neutron]]<nowiki/>s to split others in a [[nuclear chain-reaction]]. The most common nuclear fuels are [[uranium]] and [[plutonium]]. Uranium is natural, but plutonium is made in a [[breeder reactor]]. Some nuclear fuels are not used in a [[nuclear reactor]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf66.html |title=Nuclear Fusion Power WNA |access-date=2011-03-23 |archive-date=2012-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225044346/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf66.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> They power [[radioisotope thermoelectric generator]]s. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==Related pages== *[[MOX fuel]] {{Nuclear power}} [[Category:Nuclear energy]]