Nuclear+Power

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media type="custom" key="5811515" Nuclear power is an energy source that converts mass, the "stuff" that everything is made of, to normal energy types, like electricity. Nuclear power relies on complex reactions at the atomic level that decrease the amount of fuel and increase the amount of heat.media type="custom" key="5830233"

__**Disadvantages**__media type="custom" key="5830241"
 * __Advantages__**media type="custom" key="5830237"
 * Massive potential supply of fuel
 * Does not contribute to global warmingmedia type="custom" key="5830231"
 * If contained, does not pollute atmosphere or impact wildlife
 * When technology is sufficient, fusion should create energy from almost nothing
 * If not contained, can release radioactivity
 * Produces radioactive waste, but this can be partially recycled
 * Fuel may be misused for military purposes

**__Vocabulary__** media type="custom" key="5830243"
The energy contained within an object is equal to its mass times the speed of light in centimeters per second squared. This predicts how much energy will be released when the fuel is subjected to a nuclear reaction. A small-scale structure composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. In a nuclear reaction, atoms are either split up or fused together. The part of an atom at the center, composed of protons and neutrons. This is the part of the atom that is fused or split. A neutrally charged particle inside the nucleus. It can be ejected from a nucleus, and hit into another, causing a chain reaction. A negatively charged particle that orbits around the nucleus A positively charged particle that resides within the nucleus A method of generating nuclear energy that involves splitting apart the nucleus of an atom into two smaller nuclei, where there is an extra neutron that escapes, splitting another nucleus and causing a chain reaction A method of generating nuclear energy that involves combining two nuclei into one, causing a chain reaction When one event triggers another, and that triggers a third and so on, like a Rube Goldberg Invention. This will continuously generate energy until the potential is used up.
 * Einstein's equation** media type="custom" key="5837995"
 * Atom:**
 * Nucleus****:**
 * Neutron****:**
 * Electron**
 * Proton**
 * Fission**
 * Fusion**
 * Chain reaction**

__**Energy Production Procedure**__ media type="custom" key="5830247" __Fission__ Conservation: __Fusion__ Conservation:
 * 1) Uranium or other elements with high neutron content are mined from the ground. These have mass energy, which will be converted to electricity.
 * 2) The fuel is put through a fast-breeder reactor, which increases the content of useful U-235 as opposed to U-238.
 * 3) The fuel is put into the nuclear reactor, which breaks apart the nucleus of one of the U-235 atoms.
 * 4) This increases the heat of the fuel and releases a free neutron.
 * 5) The heat is used to turn water into steam, which powers a steam turbine, which generates electricity.
 * 6) The neutron bounces off the U-238 until it hits a U-235 atom, which splits the U-235 atom.
 * 7) Repeat steps 4-7.
 * in step 3-4, mass is converted to heat
 * in step 5, heat is transferred to water, and then converted to electricity
 * 1) Deuterium, with one proton and one neutron in the nucleus, is found naturally in the atmosphere, and tritium, with one proton and two neutrons, is formed by bombarding lithium with neutrons. These, or other light elements, constitute the fuel for the reaction, which will convert the mass energy to electric energy.
 * 2) Inside the reactor, the fuel is heated to a plasma state, or accelerated to a high velocity.
 * 3) if these are used, an atom of tritium and an atom of deuterium are forced together into an atom of helium-4, with two protons and two neutrons. Otherwise, atoms of fuel will be forced together in a similar way.
 * 4) The extra neutron and atom have less energy than in the beginning, so there is liberated energy in the form of heat.
 * 5) There is extra heat produced, which accelerates or changes other atoms to a plasma, causing a chain reaction.
 * 6) The heat is used to power a turbine, creating electrical energy.
 * in step 3-4, mass is converted to heat
 * in step 6, heat is converted to electricity

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media type="custom" key="5833825" media type="custom" key="5833839" This article provides an explanation of the recycling mechanism, as well as showing that nuclear energy is poised to rise as the next main source of energy.

media type="custom" key="5811827" A plan of a nuclear power plant.media type="custom" key="5834665"

A piece of uranium. This is used for fission.media type="custom" key="5834667"

media type="custom" key="5826691" media type="custom" key="5826673" An animation showing a fission chain reactionmedia type="custom" key="5832513"

media type="custom" key="5826715" Nuclear power can also be used for military purposes.media type="custom" key="5832515"

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