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Nuclear Fission Research Paper

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Nuclear fission is either a radioactive decay or a nuclear reaction process in which the nucleus of the atom splits into smaller parts. The fission often produces neutrons and photons and releases a very large amount of energy.
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat which is most likely to be used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power station.
A nuclear reactor produces and controls the release of energy from splitting the atoms of Uranium, Uranium fuelled nuclear power is a clean and efficient way of boiling water to create them which drives turbines generators.
Chain Reaction
The fission of the uranium can also setup a chain reaction that keeps releasing energy as long …show more content…

The process of splitting the atom is known as nuclear fission

Nuclear binding energy
The binding energy is the energy that holds the nucleus together, this is equal to the mass defect of the nucleus. The mass of the nucleus is always less than the sum masses of the protons and neutrons when separated. The difference is the measure of the nuclear binding energy which holds the nucleus together. According to einstein's equation this binding energy is equal to the mass defect. During the splitting process some of the mass of the nucleus is converted to huge amounts of energy

Risk of Nuclear power.
Radioactive waste- the waste must be isolated from contact with people for very long time as they can leak radiations. The nuclear wastes contain radioisotopes with long half- lives this would also mean that they can stay in the atmosphere in one form or the other, these waste are usually buried underground but can be used to make nuclear …show more content…

They are composed of chemical elements such as boron and silver and are capable of absorbing many neutrons without fissioning themselves. The nuclear reaction is designed to allow a controlled chain reaction. Moveable control rods are placed between the rods of the nuclear fuel. These control rods absorb some of the neutrons so fewer neutrons can split the Uranium atom. If we move the control rods deeper into the reactor , this causes them to absorb more neutrons therefore slowing down the process. In summary it prevents a explosive release of

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How the bomb works? Within a nucleus there are different forces the act between the particles. Between two or more nucleons (neutrons & protons when dealing with nuclear chemistry) a very strong force is present that binds together the protons and neutrons inside the nucleus. When this force is at its strongest is when the nucleus is minute and close together.

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Facts, data, expert opinion: a) Low Pollution such as air pollution, water pollution - Nuclear power also has a lot fewer greenhouse emissions. It has been determined that the amount of greenhouse gases have decreased by almost half because of the prevalence in the utilization of nuclear power. Nuclear energy has the least effect on nature since it doesn’t discharge any gasses like methane and carbon dioxide b) Low Operating Costs - The cost of the uranium, which is utilized as a fuel in this process, is low. Also, even though the expense of setting up nuclear power plants is moderately high, the expense of running them is quite low. The normal life of nuclear reactor is anywhere from 40-60 years, depending on how often it is used and how it is being

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Nuclear fission can be similar to nuclear fusion for example they both release heat energy. However, in nuclear fusion: • two nuclei must join together • Extremely high temperatures are needed. To develop further: Nuclear fusion is the joining of smaller nuclei to make larger ones. For example; Deuterium and Tritium form to make a bigger and heavier nucleus and Helium releases a lot of energy. Nuclear fusion also happens in stars..

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Nuclear fission occurs when an atom splits and releases energy. Nuclear fission is cheap and produces more energy than fossil fuels, but it releases hazardous waste. Another method of using energy must be found. Enter nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is the exact opposite of fission, in which two atoms join together.

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In this day and age where energy is one of the greatest factors in world events, it is unsurprising to see nuclear energy, the bridge between fossil fuels and renewable resources, argued for and against so fiercely. Yet under this umbrella term of “nuclear energy” that people enjoy throwing around, there are two wildly different forms of energy. Things that perhaps shouldn’t be lumped together so haphazardly. Those are Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion.

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Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are two very different types of nuclear reactions that result in release or absorption of energy. Nuclear fusion is the reaction in which two or more smaller/lighter nuclei are combined together under extremely high pressure and temperatures to form one heavier and bigger nucleus of a new element with a higher atomic number. A significant example of where nuclear fusion occurs is in stars. Stars are fuelled by the atomic reactions of nuclear fusion and the collisions release massive amounts of energy which make the stars so hot and shine so brightly. The sun is powered by nuclear fusion in its core and it converts 620 million metric tons of hydrogen into helium every second.

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In our society, the need for a clean and reliable source of power is in high demand. Nuclear power may be a source of this energy. This energy comes from nuclear fission. Uranium-235 is hit with neutrons and this starts a chain reaction that generates a lot of heat. Water is then converted into steam that is used to spin turbines to generate power.

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In this diagram, a neutron is absorbed by a uranium-235 nucleus, as a result, it turns of a small period of time to an excited uranium-236 nucleus, with the excitation energy provided by the kinetic energy of the neutron plus the forces that bind to the neutron. The uranium-236 then splits into two, smaller, lighter, fast-moving elements (these are known as fission products) and releases three free neutrons as well as gamma rays. Fusion and fission are nuclear reactions. Fusion is the binding of two atoms to produce a heavier atom while fission is splitting of an atom. Fusion releases more energy than fission and powers the stars.

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Nuclear energy is something that we`ve all heard about. It carries risk and potential. When an atom (Uranium and Plutonium in nuclear power plants) is bombarded by neutrons, it can be split, causing fission. This fission releases more neutrons, which causes a chain reaction. Nuclear power plants use this use the heat that is created by fission to heat water that spins their turbines (“Nuclear Energy”).

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