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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Nuclear Energy

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NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus of an atom. Atoms are the smallest particles that can break a material. Nuclear energy can be used to produce electricity. This energy can be obtained in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. In nuclear fission, atoms are split into smaller atoms, releasing energy. Actually, nuclear power plants can only use nuclear fission to produce electricity.
The nuclear energy is powerful because it helps in production of heat and electricity in larger quantities as well as it helps in producing nuclear weapons like atomic bombs, and also in industrial areas. When nuclear energy is used …show more content…

It represents a significant save on raw materials but also in transport, handling and extraction of nuclear fuel. The cost of nuclear fuel (overall uranium) is 20% of the cost of energy generated the production of electric energy is continuous. A nuclear power plant is generating electricity for almost 90% of annual time. It reduces the price volatility of other fuels such as petrol.
This continuity benefits the electrical planning. Nuclear power does not depend on natural aspects. It's a solution for the main disadvantage of renewable energy, like solar energy or eolic energy, because the hours of sun or wind does not always coincide with the hours with 1more energy demand.
Currently, fossil fuels are consumed faster than they are produced, so in the future these resources may be reduced or the price may increase becoming inaccessible for most of the population. It's an alternative to fossil fuels, so the consumption of fuels such as coal or oil is reduced. This reduction of coal and oil consumption benefits the situation of global warming and global climate change. Less use of fossil fuels means lowering greenhouse gas emissions (Co2and others). By reducing the consumption of fossil fuels we also improve the quality of the air affecting the disease and quality of

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When the nuclei of Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239 undergo nuclear fission, they produce waste as a by-product, which is known as nuclear waste or “fission fragments”. (Leslie Corrice, 2015) This waste contains radioisotopes, which are radioactive isotopes that have long half-lives. This means that the radioisotopes are able to stay in the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years, which is extremely hazardous to the earth’s environment. Very commonly this waste contaminates water and ruins the quality of both air and soil, which in turn devastates the planet.

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Contrary to popular belief, nuclear power plants are unable to explode. Power plants use fuel that is thirty to ninety times too diluted to explode.

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The general attitude by the public towards nuclear reactors is that of fear or disapproval simply due to its name or the rumors. Nuclear reactors are merely devices that sustain chain reactions, in which only one of the emitted neutrons hits another nucleus to create fission. Though nuclear reactors cannot become a weapon or a bomb, some of the dangers relate to our lives to the extent that we may need to seek alternatives, as demonstrated by the reactors in Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Nuclear reactors operate on chain reaction, which does not grow due to neutron multiplications of 1. They depend on slow neutrons—in explosion, they are only as powerful as TNT.

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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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I hope to tell you what nuclear fusion is and when it was discovered. I hope to talk about the dangers involved with nuclear fusion and will it be controlled. I want to talk a bit about some previous nuclear disasters that humanity has faced in the past. I hope to talk a little bit about nuclear waste. I also hope to talk about some applications of nuclear energy in the 21st century.

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Nuclear energy has numerous world benefits that other forms of energy creation just don’t, and its pros are truly unprecedented by any other source of energy. Nuclear power plants are inexpensive to run, which means they can easily be maintained and sustained at a low cost. And while the reactors themselves may be expensive, with government grants the materials can be much more easily purchased and built. The most expensive part of the nuclear reactor process is the uranium, which again, isn’t hard to get as it’s used in few other applications and can be acquired through government programs. Additionally, the energy emitted from these power plants compared to their cost is immense and an extremely worthwhile investment for governments and private businesses.

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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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