Q 01/05

On what date did reactor 4 at Chernobyl explode?

A) 1 May 1986

B) 26 April 1986

C) 28 April 1985

D) 6 August 1986

Answer · why

B) 26 April 1986

Reactor 4 exploded at 01:23 on 26 April 1986, a Saturday, with the night shift at the controls; the blast tore off the reactor's 1,000-tonne upper lid...

Q 02/05

Which numbered unit at the Chernobyl plant blew up in 1986?

A) 4

B) 1

C) 2

D) 3

Answer · why

A) 4

Unit 4 was the reactor that exploded; its twin, Unit 3, shared the same building and kept generating electricity until it was finally shut down in Dec...

Q 03/05

Besides Chernobyl, which accident is the only other one rated at Level 7, the maximum on the International Nuclear Event Scale?

A) Fukushima

B) Three Mile Island

C) Kyshtym

D) Windscale

Answer · why

A) Fukushima

Fukushima, after Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami, joined Chernobyl as the only Level 7 events on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Q 04/05

What was the reactor crew attempting when the accident happened?

A) A routine refuelling of the core

B) A run at record power output

C) An emergency evacuation drill

D) A test simulating cooling in a blackout

Answer · why

D) A test simulating cooling in a blackout

The idea was to see whether the coasting turbine could power the coolant pumps until the diesel generators kicked in.

Q 05/05

What type of Soviet reactor was used at Chernobyl?

A) VVER

B) CANDU

C) BWR

D) RBMK

Answer · why

D) RBMK

Chernobyl's four units were RBMK reactors, a graphite-moderated, water-cooled Soviet design with individual pressure tubes instead of a single pressur...