In order to understand the Chernobyl accident of 1986, we need to understand a little background of the Chernobyl energy complex and its surroundings. The Chernobyl power complex is about 210 miles north of kyiv, Ukraine, and about 32 miles south of the Belarusian border. The energy complex included a total of four RBMK-1000 nuclear reactors, and at the time of the accident two more reactors were under construction nearby. Reactors one and two were built between 1970 and 1977. The third and fourth reactors were built in 1983. The plant also included an artificial lake covering approximately 35 square miles and built to provide cooling water for the reactors. around the power complex is described as a forest with very few people living in the area. There is a town about three kilometers from the complex named Pripyat, also known as New Town. Its population is approximately 49,000 people. There is also the old town of Chernobyl, located about 24 miles southeast of the nuclear power plant. Its population is around 13,000 people. The total number of people living within a radius of 80 km around the nuclear power plant exceeds 115,000. In order to better understand the type of reactors used in the nuclear power plant, we will explore how the RBMK-1000 works. . The RBMK-1000 is of Soviet design and constructed of graphite. It is a moderate pressure tube type reactor that uses slightly enriched uranium dioxide fuel. (World Nuclear 2014) It has a water reactor, with two loops supplying steam directly to the turbines, without an intermediate heat exchanger. Water is pumped into the fuel channels to start the boiling process. As the process continues...... middle of paper...... remarkable work; In fact, they gave their lives for the rest of the country. This may seem insensitive, but the world is a better place because of the Chernobyl accident. He put the world into thinking about what happens when things go wrong with nuclear power. Works Cited (NRC 2013). Retrieved from http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.htmlUNSCEAR.org. (UNCSCEAR 2008). Retrieved from http://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/chernobyl.htmlUnited Nations, UNSCEAR (2011). UNSCEAR 2008. Retrieved from New York website: NATIONS, U. (2011). Sources and effectiveness of ionizing radiation. 11, 179. Extract from (nd). Retrieved from http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-Accident/ (World Nuclear 2014). Retrieved from http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-Accident/