Both processes form a neutron at the expense of a proton, and decrease the atomic number by one. In nuclear reactors the reaction is moderated to operate at safe levels by inserting neutron-absorbing rods into the reactor pile. Control rods are composed of boron or cadmium. Concentration of U-235 is called enrichment. 6 diffuses faster by a factor of 1.0043.
Reactors are exothermic devices.
In many cases the thermal output of a reactor is used to heat liquid water to form steam, which in-turn drives turbines to generate power. On a vertical energy line, explosives occupy a high position, they have high energy content. They often decompose rapidly to carbon dioxide, water vapor and elemental nitrogen. The products are stable gases, i.e., they're very low on the vertical energy line. The rapid production of gases, coupled with large bursts of thermal energy, give explosives the power to do work on objects - very rapid work.