A common misconception the public has about the field of nuclear engineering is the belief that a nuclear reactor can explode like an atomic bomb. The reason this is a misconception stems from the fear of destruction caused by the use of atomic bombs on Japan and the association with the common ingredient in both nuclear reactors and atomic bombs, uranium. But to understand why this is a misconception, we must first look at the process that occurs in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs, the fission chain reactions. A fission chain reaction occurs when a neutron hits an atom, splitting the atom into two smaller atoms, two to three neutrons and energy. The chain reaction occurs when the two or three neutrons produced hit other atoms, thus repeating the process. Neutrons can freely last about ten minutes before they start to decay, so after the fission reaction has occurred, the resulting neutrons have about ten minutes to continue the chain1. Nuclear reactors work thanks to the energy produced during the fission chain reaction, heating the water surrounding the reactor and transforming it inside...