Nuclear power
- Created by: 8bitcapybara
- Created on: 13-10-22 19:02
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- Nuclear Power
- Fission
- Splitting up big atomic nuclei
- creates daughter nuclei
- A neutron at high speed is fired at a big atom to split it apart, creating two daughter nuclei
- slow moving neutrons are called thermal neutrons
- Needs and releases a lot of energy
- Is a chain reaction
- Uncontrolled reaction makes a bomb
- Controlled reaction is a nuclear reactor
- To slow down the reaction you take away neutrons
- Nuclear Reactors
- neutrons are slowed down by uranium fuel rods to prevent chain reactions
- fuel rods are placed inside moderators
- Control rods absorb excess neutrons
- waste can be stored in glass boxes or pools of water
- Splitting up big atomic nuclei
- Fusion
- Sticking together atoms
- Two light nuclei collide at high speed and join.
- Hydrogen fuses to make Helium
- only happens at high pressure and temperature
- you loose positrons
- Occurs in the sun
- Produces energy in Gamma rays
- Nothing on earth can recreate it yet.
- Sticking together atoms
- Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Less need for fossil fuels
- Doesn't release greenhouse gasses so its cleaner energy in that sense
- nuclear fuel is cheap
- Can produce lots of energy for little material
- Cons
- Waste has long half lives so its radioactive for hundreds of years
- Waste can pollute the planet
- Potentially dangerous
- Overall high cost
- Pros
- Fission
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