The reaction coordinate diagram above depicts an exothermic reaction. The activation energy, Ea, represents the energy required for reactants to reach the
transition state. Which of the following lowers the activation energy without affecting
the change in energy, AE, for the overall reaction?

it is the minimum amount of material needed to sustain a fission reaction.

critical mass is the minimum amount of fissionable material that must be assembled for a sustained fission reaction to take place. although two to three neutrons are produced for every fission, not all of these neutrons are available for continuing the fission reaction. if the conditions are such that the neutrons are lost at a faster rate than they are formed by fission, the chain reaction will not be self-sustaining.   at the point where the chain reaction can become self-sustaining, this is referred to as critical mass.