Yes. Here's a quote from a REAL nuclear science text (Basic Nuclear Engineering, by Foster and Wright).
"Fission occurs when a fissionable nucleus captures a neutron. Capture upsets the internal balance between neutrons and protons in the nucleus. The nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei, and an average of two or three neutrons is emitted. The resulting mass of products is less than that of the original nucleus plus neutron. The difference in masses appears as energy in an amount determined according to Einstein's forumula, E=mc2."
I've posted the same. It was your other idea that it was electrical forces were not involved that was errant.
Yes. Here's a quote from a REAL nuclear science text (Nuclear Reactor Engineering, Glaasstone and Sesonske).
"- the fission fragments - which are propelled in opposite directions as a result of the electrostatic repulsion between them."
For light reading:
Nuclear Energy by Raymond L Murray, Pergamon Press, 4th Ed 1993
ISBN 0-08-042125-3
This book does oversimplify some things, but if you have no background in
physics or things nuclear, it's not bad at all.
For heavy reading:
Basic Nuclear Engineering by Foster and Wright, Allyn and Bacon, 4th Ed
1983, ISBN 0-205-07886-9
Introduction to Nuclear Engineering by Lamarsh, Addison Wesley, 2nd Ed
1983, ISBN 0-201-14200-7
A pair of my undergrad texts, both clear and concise.
For really heavy reading:
Nuclear Reactor Engineering by Glasstone and Sesonske, VNR Co., 1967,
ISBN not given. Difficult to find anyway.