Exploring Nuclear Energy in Environmental Science

1. Chapter 16 – Nuclear Energy Pages 250 – 263 Ms. Marcino Environmental Science

2. 3 parts: • 1. Protons: • 2. Neutrons: • 3. Electrons: • Nucleus: Parts of an_________

3. Atoms usually have the same _________ _____________________ = ___________.

4. Properties of atom determined ________ ________________. • Atomic number: • Ex: oxygen = ___; uranium =___ • Atomic mass: • Ex: oxygen = ___ (_________; __________) • Isotopes: Atoms and Isotopes

5. Some __________ are __________. • Unstable atoms may • Radioactive atoms: • Radiation: Radioactivity

6. Radioactive particles: • 1. alpha particles: • 2. beta particles: • Losing _____________changes an atoms __________, causing it to become a ________________(radioactive decay). • Half-life:

7. Only about ______ of the world’s ____________ comes from _________ power. • Nuclear power plants are powered by nuclear energy: Fission: Splitting Atoms

8. An Atom!!

9. Forces holding the nucleus together are STRONG! • Atoms of uranium (an element) ________ __________________________________. • Nuclear Fission: • Nucleus __________________(neutral atomic particles). • This causes • Causes a _____________________________ _________________________.

10. Nuclear Fission

11. Example: atomic bomb is uncontrolled fission reaction.

12. Nuclear reactor surrounded by thick ________________________________. • Pressure vessel will _____________________ in event of accident. • _____________________ also surround reactor. • Inside reactor: • ____________ containing _____________ hit repeatedly with ____________. • Chain reaction How Nuclear Energy Works

13. Reactor core contains control rods: • Released heat used to generate ________ (heat steam in power plants, etc).

14. Breeder reactor: • _____________ used as fuel in breeder reactor. • Produces heat energy too.

15. Nuclear Power Plant

16. Example: Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. • Generates enough energy for 2 million Californian households. • Equivalent to burning 20 million barrels of oil

17. Nuclear fuel = ________________________. • Power plants do not produce greenhouse gases = ___________________. • Release less ______________ than coal-fired power plants. • France generates ¾ of its electricity from nuclear power and produces less than 1/5 the amount of pollution per person than the U.S. Advantages of Nuclear Energy

19. Uranium __________________________. • As it decays it gives off radon: • Can • Dangerous • Estimated that

20. Building and maintaining a safe reactor is very expensive • Storing Waste • ______________________________________for years. • The used fuel, liquids and equipment from the reactor core are hazardous wastes. • Storage sites must be in an area that will remain geologically stable for a long time. Why Aren’t We Using More Nuclear Energy?

21. Ex: Plutonium-239 waste will be dangerous for __________________.

22. Safety Concerns • Potential for fission process to get out of control. • Ex: 1986- • Engineers • Test • Areas • Nuclear • 50

23. Meltdown:

24. Exposure to radiation can cause: nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of some white blood cells, cancer. • 25 rems= • 100 rems= • >100 rems= • 300 rems=

25. 50% of people exposed to 450 rems die. • 800 or more rems always fatal (no effective treatment). • In time, survivors can develop cancer. • Ex: X-ray =

26. Waste is radioactive. • Approx. __________ of waste produced in one year from _______________. • Types of waste: • High-level wastes: • Uranium fuel rods, control rods, water used to cool and control chain reactions, vessel that surrounds the fuel rods. Radioactive Waste

27. Medium-level and low-level wastes: • Mine wastes scattered around uranium mine, contaminated protective clothing from workers, also produced by hospitals and laboraties.

28. Nuclear Fusion: • This is the process that powers all the stars, including our sun. • Safer than fission because it creates less dangerous radioactive biproducts. The Future of Nuclear Power

29. Difficult to achieve. • 180,000,000 ⁰F • Nuclei