bol-suk'es

critical size

Pronunciation

bolsukʔɛs

Sound out bol-suk'es letter by letter:

• bbb as in 'bay'
• ooo as in 'go'
• lll as in 'love'
• sss as in 'sun'
• uuoo as in 'food'
• kkk as in 'skate' (no puff of air)
• 'ʔglottal stop, the catch in 'uh-oh'
• eɛe as in 'bet'
• sss as in 'sun'

the minimum size of a nuclear reactor core or nuclear weapon that can be made critical for a specific geometrical arrangement and material composition; the critical size must at least include enough fissionable material to reach critical mass