Nuclear Energy
Alejandro Valdez, Dianna Fierro, Alonzo Castanon, Ricky Arellano
What is Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear energy is the form of energy that is found in the nucleus which is the core
of an atom. There is a ton of energy in the nucleus which can be used to create
electricity through a process called nuclear fission.
Equation of Nuclear Energy
E = Δmc2
The E stands fr the energy that any
mass has at rest, M stands for
mass, and the c is the speed of light
If a body is in motion at a very high velocity, v, (comparable
to the speed of light c), it has a relativistic mass, m(v), that
is different from its mass rest, m0. The relationship
between “rest mass” and “relativistic mass” is shown in the
equation below.
How Does Nuclear Fission Produce Energy?
Nuclear Power Plants use nuclear fission to create energy. They do this by
colliding a neutron with a uranium atom which splits it and releases a large amount
of energy through heat and radiation. The energy is then used in a turbine which
generates electricity.
What is a Chain Reaction
A chain reaction is an ongoing series of fission reactions. Billions of
reactions occur each second in a chain reaction.
Uncontrolled chain reactions take place
during the explosion of an atomic bomb
What is a nuclear reactor?
A Nuclear Reactor is a device that initiates and controls a fission nuclear chain
reaction. It is basically the heart of the powerplant as it is responsible for most of
the nuclear energy production.
How does radiation not damage its surroundings?
The concrete shield stops radiation from leaking into the surrounding environment.
It contains the radiation by absorbing it and is the reason disasters do not
frequently occur, but sometimes bad things still happen.
Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Production
There have been accidents, including the tragic disasters of Chernobyl, Three Mile Island,
and Fukushima Alichi, two of which resulted in the spread of a significant amount of
radioactive material and deaths.
Also, it has an effect on the environment due to the waste produced by nuclear energy.
For example, uranium mining is not done in an environmentally friendly manner, and the
process of building nuclear towers results in the release of radioactive particles that can
cause erosion or death.
Chernobyl Accident starts at 3:08
Fukushima Alichi Accident starts at 0:50
Advantages of Nuclear Energy
The majority of nuclear energy production occurs in nuclear tower plants; this type
of energy is the safest, cleanest, and most affordable source of power on Earth
and is an excellent way to lower carbon emissions.
We can produce high amount of energy with low amount of fuel consumption
Low greenhouse gas emissions
Cheaper than most energy sources
Why Uranium
The reason uranium is the most common fuel used to produce nuclear energy is
because its atoms are easy to split. While uranium is easily found in rocks almost
everywhere, U-235, the specific uranium used for nuclear fission is rare
What is nuclear energy used for?
Nuclear energy is used for powering homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and
used for space exploration. The United States uses nuclear energy the most.
That’s the end of our
presentation!