Nuclear Power
From wiki.NGSciEd.org
Lauren P., Erin C., & Rebecca L. ISCI 2001
Contents |
Key Terms
- Fissile: capable of being split or divided.
- Fission: the act of splitting into parts accompanied by the release of energy.
- Fusion: the act or process of coming together; a thermonuclear reaction in which nuclei of light atoms join to for nuclei of stronger atoms.
- Non-proliferation: prevention of something spreading or increasing (usually regarding nuclear weapons)
- Radiation: process where energy is emitted as waves or particles through a medium that absorbs it
- Renewable Energy Source: energy that can be replenished in a short period of time (five main types: water, biomass, geothermal, wind, solar)
- Spent Fuel: the most radioactive of nuclear waste products
Reactions
Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei through controlled nuclear reactions. Today the most common way to produce nuclear power is through nuclear fusion. Utility-scale reactors use hot water to make steam which is converted into mechanical work used for generating electricity or propulsion. Conventional thermal power stations generate electricity by harnessing the thermal energy released from burning fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants convert the energy released from the nucleus of an atom typically through nuclear fusion. When a large fissile atomic nucleus absorbs the neutron, a fission of the atom usually results. (1) In short, nuclear power is produced through nuclear reactions involving changes in the nucleus.
Process of generating electricity from nuclear power
Positive Aspects
- "Sustainable" resource
- Reduces carbon emissions
- Decreases U.S. dependence on imported oil
Negative Aspects
- Plants are costly to build
- Waste is highly radioactive and difficult to get rid of
- It can take 1,000s of years for waste to lose its radioactivity
- Produces depleted uranium (DU) which may cause health problems in those who are over-exposed
- Stigmata of previous nuclear accidents
Where does the waste go?
Much of the waste produced by nuclear power is high level radioactive material which must be sealed off and stored very carefully. Spent fuel, the most radioactive of these materials, is stored on site in heavily shielded basins of water also known as spent fuel pools. After waste materials lose a percentage of their radioactivity, they are moved to a permanent underground storage site located in Nevada, Yucca Mountain. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of controversy with this location is it is very close to the popular city of Las Vegas. Many argue about the dangers of radioactive waste being so close to the busy city.
Percentages
- 20% percent of the energy in the U.S. is created by nuclear power.
- Nuclear power generates about 6.3% of the worlds energy and about 15% of the electricity. (6) France is the largest nuclear power producer in the world with about 80% of its energy being nuclear generated.
Is nuclear power a renewable and sustainable source of energy?
The uranium that nuclear power is composed of is essentially an inexhaustible resource according to physicist Bernard Cohen. Cohen believes that nuclear power could be used as a renewable energy source. Scientists have since discovered that nuclear power can be reused but will eventually be used up entirely. The United States government will not deem that nuclear power can be used as a renewable energy source because of the concern with potentially hazardous waste materials. (3)
Current Events
- When many people think of nuclear power they think of weapons, stockpiles, or other hazardous items; however, nuclear power can be put to use in many other ways. Currently, governments and other international agencies are proposing that nuclear power be taken out of the hands of individual governments, put it all in one specific area, and left in the control of one agency--independent of any one nation. Great Britain, the United States, and the European Union support this idea and are putting money towards the creation of this agency; unfortunately, not all nuclear power-holding nations are as willing to give up what they have. Iran is the biggest opponent to the idea. The concept behind this agency is the idea that most of the nuclear power used is not put towards the creation of weapons, but instead towards a renewable energy source that could replace dependency on oil. It would also promote non-proliferation. Until all countries are willing to give up their nuclear energy, this concept is far from being a reality. (4)
- Studies are being released, which critics argue were way overdue, that claim nuclear power causes cancer and other disabilities. For at least twenty years, government scientists have told the public that the amount of radiation emitted from nuclear power is non-toxic. However, after an intensive study by Germany of the contamination by the 1986 accident at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, scientists found that levels of cancer have steadily increased since the time of the outbreak. There have also been more genetic birth defects and deaths due to radiation. This new information adds to the negativity surrounding nuclear power's reputation what with "problems of high cost, waste disposal, vulnerability to terrorist attack or accident caused by human error." Nuclear power is now also earning the reputation of a killer, and this fact does not bode well with critics. (5)
- The use of nuclear power in place of other energy sources helps keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation, and prevent acid rain. For this reason, many scientists are looking into nuclear power as a new green form of energy.
Discussion Questions
- How is nuclear power generated?
- Why is nuclear power so important today?
- It seems like a great alternative, so what's the problem?
- How would the U.S. benefit from completely switching over to nuclear power?
Related Material and Lesson Plans
NRC: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission lessons
- Radiation [1]
- The Uses of Radiation [[2]]
- Nuclear Reactors/Energy Generation [[3]]
- Radioactive Waste [[4]]
- Transporting Radioactive Waste [[5]]
Chernobyl [6]
Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste
- Unit Intro [7]
- Lesson 1: Energy in our Lives [8]
- Lesson 2: Nuclear Energy [9]
- Lesson 3: Nuclear Waste: What is it and where is it? [10]
- Unit Test [11]
Resources Cited
- (2009). Nuclear Power. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
- (2008). Nuclear Power Now. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www.nuclearnow.org/
- (2009). Renewable Energy. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 13, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy#Controversy_over_nuclear_power_as_a_renewable_energy_source
- Mackenzie, D. (2009, January 7). Should nuclear fuels be taken out of national hands? In New Scientist. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126903.100-should-nuclear-fuels-be-taken-out-of-national-hands.html?page=1
- Walker, L. (2008, May 21). No to nuclear power. In New Scientist. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826570.700-no-to-nuclear-power.html
- (2008). World Energy Needs and Nuclear Power. World Nuclear Association. Retrieved February 17, 2009, http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf16.html
