This is known as a chain reaction. In a chain reaction, the products released by one reaction act as the reactants for the next reaction, and so on. This process continues until all the fissionable material is used up or until the reaction is stopped through some means, such as the insertion of control rods in a nuclear reactor. Chain reactions can occur naturally, such as in the case of nuclear decay, or can be created artificially in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. It is important to carefully control chain reactions to prevent overheating, explosions, and other dangerous outcomes.
