Download
1 / 15
150 likes | 163 Views
Learn about nuclear fusion and fission processes, nuclear reactor workings, effects of radiation, and nuclear power plants. Understand the energy sources, chain reactions, and handling of nuclear waste. Explore the challenges of nuclear fusion and its potential as a future energy source.
E N D
Objectives • To introduce fusion and fission as sources of energy • To learn about nuclear fission • To understand how a nuclear reactor works • To learn about nuclear fusion
Class Warmup Write a balanced equation to represent the following nuclear processes. • Bismuth-209 is bombarded by an alpha particle, which results in the production of astatine-211 plus two neutrons. • Uranium-235 is bombarded with a neutron producing Barium-141 and Krypton-92 plus 3 neutrons. • Two isotopes of hydrogen, hydrogen-2 and hydrogen 3 combine to produce Helium-4 plus one neutron.
A. Nuclear Energy • Two types of nuclear processes can produce energy • Combining 2 light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus - fusion • Splitting a heavy nucleus into 2 nuclei with smaller mass numbers - fission
B. Nuclear Fission • Releases a large amount of energy • Each fission produces 3 neutrons
B. Nuclear Fission • Chain reaction – self sustaining fission process caused by the production of neutrons that proceed to split other nuclei • Critical mass – mass of fissionable material required to produce a chain reaction
Nuclear Power Plants How nuclear energy works – YouTube Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Problem Explained (CNN) – YouTube How a Nuclear Power Plant Works | Fox News Video
C. Nuclear Power Plants • Reactor core
Nuclear Power Plants What happens to nuclear waste? • Nuclear waste material must be stored safely for hundreds of thousands of years. • Currently, spent fuel rods are stored on-site at nuclear power plants. They are stored in pools of water or eventually in dry casks • Work has been done on a permanent geological storage facility – Yucca mountain, Nevada
Nuclear Weapons How A Nuclear Weapon Works - YouTube
D. Nuclear Fusion • Small nuclei combine to form a heavier, more stable nucleus. • Tremendous amount of energy is released. • Powers the stars and sun
D. Nuclear Fusion • Requires extremely high temperatures • Currently not technically possible for us to use as an energy source
E. Effects of Radiation • Factors Determining Biological Effects of Radiation • Energy of the radiation • Penetrating ability of the radiation • Ionizing ability of the radiation • Chemical properties of the radiation source
