What's Nuclear Energy? And Nuclear Power?

" ... a way of creating heat through the fission process of atoms, in which atoms releases neutrons and substantial energy. This reaction generate heat, where all power plants convert heat into electricity using steam, which is used to turn the turbine.




It also releases energy in the form of heat. The released neutrons can then repeat the process. This releases even more neutrons and more nuclear energy. The repeating of the process is called a chain reaction. In a nuclear power plant, uranium is the material used in the fission process.

Nuclear power plants use the amazing power of the atom to generate electricity with a very low fuel cost and much less pollution than fossil fuel plants. However, the planning, building, and operating of a nuclear power plant is a long, costly, and very complex process.

Nuclear reactors produce about 20% of the electricity in the USA. There are over 400 power reactors in the world (about 100 of these are in the USA). They produce base-load electricity 24/7 without emitting any pollutants into the atmosphere (this includes CO2). They do, however, create radioactive nuclear waste that must be stored carefully.

Why does splitting a Uranium atom release energy?

- Energy is related to mass
- When Uranium atom split, it releases 2 or 3 neutrons
- The combined mass of those neutrons is 99.9 percent of the original atom
- (The other O.1 percent get converted to energy)
- Released as gamma rays (cause burns, cancer and genetic mutations in living things)

When the idea for nuclear power plants first came out, the Atomic Energy Commision (AEC) claimed that it would be a cheap way of generating electricity. Compared with fossil fuel power plants, nuclear power plants use very little fuel, so the cost is small, but is made up in other areas. The AEC was wrong. In fact, up till today, nuclear power plants cost just as much to biuld and run as coal plants do.