11. Nuclear

Question 1

Plutonium

Answer 1

• radioactive material generated from uranium fission
• produced by reprocessing fuel
• powers spacecraft launched 42 years ago
• huge energy
• once it was naturally occurring

Question 2

What is uranium?

Answer 2

• naturally occurring and very abundant
• weakly radioactive
• 2 isotopes: 235 and 238. 235 is enriched for

Question 3

Explain Uranium 238

Answer 3

• decays slowly
• most abundant
• alpha decay into Pb 206 (uranium lead dating)

Question 4

Explain uranium 235

Answer 4

• decays violently quickly
• least abundant
• used for fission reactors and weapons

Question 5

Fission of uranium 235. How is it enriched, how it it made and controlled.

Answer 5

• add neutron, splitting nuclei, creating 3 neutrons which ping off for other reaction
• use moderator to slow neutrons
• cadmium rods

Question 6

Manhattan project

Answer 6

first nuclear reactor
Chicago
Used giant pile of graphite and cadmium rods to control reaction.
Cadmium rods absorbed electrons

Question 7

Fuel bundles

Answer 7

enriched uranium put into these

one pellet contains 3 barrels of energy of oil

Question 8

Cherenkov radiation

Answer 8

blue glow underwater

Question 9

Nuclear waste Policy Act

Answer 9

1982
failed
US wanted to permanently store nuclear waste- 80,000 tons

Question 10

How many tons of spent nuclear waste do we have?

Answer 10

80,000

Question 11

fission

Answer 11

splitting up nuclei to produce energy

Question 12

How is energy created here?

Answer 12

uranium fission creates heat, steam, turns fan and produces electricity

Question 13

Enrichment

Answer 13

when we want to increase the amount of uranium 235

Question 14

When we calculated all the CO2 produced from natural gases, coal, oil, it was 536 ppm. we’re at 410. Why?

Answer 14

Oceans abosrb CO2, become more acidic

Question 15

Where is uranium mined?

Answer 15

western us

find crystals of uranium oxide, refine by removing quartz.