Nuclear fuel pellet vs gummy bear
A uranium fuel pellet is a small ceramic cylinder, roughly half the height of a typical gummy bear. Made from uranium dioxide, these pellets are stacked inside metal tubes to form nuclear fuel rods, which are then grouped into assemblies and loaded into a reactor. Despite its modest size, a single pellet contains an extraordinary amount of energy: approximately as much as 1,000 litres of oil or one tonne of coal.
Specification
| Typical uranium fuel pellet | |
| Type | Nuclear fuel pellet |
| Material | Uranium dioxide (UO₂) |
| Height | ~11 mm |
| Diameter | ~10 mm |
| Weight | ~7 g |
| Uranium content | ~6 g |
| Energy equivalent | ~1,000 litres of oil or ~1 tonne of coal |
| Used in | Commercial nuclear reactors, including PWRs and BWRs |
