The operation of a nuclear reactor is said to be critical, if the multiplication factor (k) has a value

Step-by-step solution

The multiplication factor (k) is an important reactor parameter and is the ratio of number of neutrons present at the beginning of a particular generation to the number present at the beginning of the next generation. It is a measure of the growth rate of the neutrons in the reactor. For k=1 , the operation of the reactor is said to be critical. Note: If k becomes greater than one, the reaction rate and the reactor power increase exponentially. Unless the factor k is brought down very close to unity, the reactor wi