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The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Fission

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Nuclear energy is contained in the nucleus (core) of an atom. Atoms are very small particles that make up everything in this universe; therefore the bonding energy is very strong as we can see in the strength of objects we use on a daily basis. If done correctly, this energy can be harvested and used to generate electricity. There are two main ways to release this energy: Nuclear fusion and Nuclear Fission (National Nuclear Regulator, 2015)
Nuclear Fission is the splitting of a large atom into two or more, smaller ones and they do not naturally occur. Fission produces many highly radioactive particles and requires a critical mass of the substance and high-speed neutrons are required. The good thing is it takes little energy to split two atoms …show more content…

It works by creating a slower environment for neutrons to move so that they have more chance of actually hitting the nucleus of the uranium atom. This generates enormous amounts of heat which is able to power turbines and make electricity. “A fast breeder reactor uses a coolant that is not an efficient moderator, such as liquid sodium.”(Karam, Andrew 2006) Although this is not the best to cause fission, they are able to create plutonium which can then be reprocessed and used as more fuel or in the creation of weapons. Sometimes, these reactors are able to generate more power than they …show more content…

This can result in many job losses but at the same time could save people a lot more money on their power bills. People are also afraid of potential disaster like Chernobyl occurring in their country and that any errors with nuclear plants would eliminate all power from the country momentarily. Social unrest can also be caused by the economic changes created by the use and reliance upon nuclear energy. Those countries’ economies which are heavily dependent on their sales of oil could experience difficulties as there would be less demand for the product. Governments will have to be careful during decision making and look not only at what would be the best cost wise, but also for the people and

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Essentially, uranium is manufactured into control rods, which sit within the reactor. The radioactive decay of the U-235 in the control rods creates an immense amount of heat. Then this heat is used to create steam, where the steam passes through a turbine that is connected to a generator feeding the grid (EIA, 2016). Therefore, the generator actually produces the electricity, and the rotation of the steam turbine just

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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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The article “The Third Wave” by Common Lit Staff and “Animal Farm” by George Orwell both relate to the central idea of conformity. In the novel the animals are all gradually becoming increasingly similar and joining one way of life. This was also shown in the article when the students all wanted to become apart of The Third Wave. In “Animal Farm” Boxer is ignorant and listens and conforms to Napoleon and his followers and one of his mottos he lives by is “Napoleon is always right”(56). The animals all listen to Napoleon and being different is not accepted, being a follower and obeying Napoleon is what all the animals want to do.

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This violent splitting creates a lot of heat, which we use to create steam, and therefore, energy. This is perhaps the easiest nuclear reaction we can create, as we use neutrons, which

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Nuclear fission, the process that takes place inside a nuclear power plant, actually produces 10 million times the amount of energy produced by fossil fuels. That’s more energy for less money! Nuclear energy has been used for more than just electricity as well. Its uses involve medical research equipment, industrial equipment, scientific neutron beams, and nuclear weapons. People say that nuclear energy is responsible for the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb which can wreak havoc on a large scale, like desolating a country, to a small scale, like altering DNA.

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Neutrons are used to divide the next many uranium atoms and the process continues. And the energy that

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It is though, a fertile material, meaning that it can be converted into an element capable of sustain that chain reaction with introduction of additional neutrons into the nucleus. This process is referred to as breeding. The change of the isotope in thorium drastically shortens the half-life, degrading into a series of intermediary elements that eventually reach Uranium-233. Because U-233 is fissile material, thorium can be used in a number of different reactor types through this method. One such reactor includes molten salt reactor that were developed and tested at Oak Ridge Laboratory in the 1960s.

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Nuclear power is power usually electricity produced by a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactors are devices or structures in which a nuclear reaction is maintained and controlled for the production of nuclear energy. The nuclear reaction controlled by nuclear reactors is called nuclear fission. Nuclear fission is the process of which a nucleus of an isotope is split. The most common isotopes which are split are Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239.

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In the circuit the reactor keeps the pressure of the steam. Both of these reactors have a job, which is to slow the neutrons. Therefore the slowing down of the neutrons during the fission process of Uranium causes the nuclear power plants to create our energy. Nuclear fusion is also apart of creating energy, but is not used in power plants. Nuclear fusion is the combining of nuclei.

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With nuclear fission, the environment and the people living in it will stay safe, while enjoying a good source of electricity. 4. Provides cost-effective energy Fission doesn't eat up the source of fossil fuel, and any fuel used in its operation is applied in small amounts and are extremely affordable. Among energy resources, nuclear fission is fairly cost-effective.

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In today’s world, us humans search and seek for better and more efficient ways in producing and sustaining a more reliable source of energy, power, and electricity. As of today, we are using a type of energy which is known as nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is energy that can be found in the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear power is derived from energy that is released when relatively large atoms are split in a series of controlled nuclear reactions; this process is also known as nuclear fission. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, producing energy as a result.

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Another problem can be with the increase in terrorism. We could see an increase on nuclear power plants being the target for new radical terrorist groups as the results would be devastating for the United States (Timeforchange.com). Another concern for the use of nuclear power plants is that there are no solutions for the radioactive waste that is produced by these plants

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Fission is used in nuclear power plants and produce a great amount of energy for us. To produce any type of these reactions, different conditions must be met and different amount of energy is

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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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