Three Mile Island Incident

Definition

The Three Mile Island Incident was a partial nuclear meltdown that occurred on March 28, 1979, at the Three Mile Island power plant in Pennsylvania. It is considered the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.

Analogy

Think of this like a pressure cooker left unattended on high heat. Just as the pressure builds up inside and can cause an explosion if not properly managed, so too did the reactor core overheat due to mechanical failures and operator errors, leading to a partial meltdown.

Related terms

Nuclear Energy: This is the energy released during nuclear fission or fusion, especially when used to generate electricity.

Meltdown: A catastrophic failure in a nuclear reactor resulting in release of radiation.

Radiation Exposure: The act of being exposed to ionizing radiation which can have harmful effects on living organisms.