Able to be split, divided, or broken apart; in nuclear physics, refers to atoms that can undergo fission and release energy.
From Latin 'fissilis' (able to be split), derived from 'fissus' (split); became especially important in the 20th century with nuclear physics.
Uranium-235 is fissile, and that single property changed world history—it's wild that one Latin root from thousands of years ago perfectly describes the mechanism of nuclear energy!
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