31-40 Flashcards
What is the function of the control rods in a nuclear reactor?
To absorb excessive neutrons to stop the chain reaction.
Which are the important functions of the light/heavy water in the primary nuclear reactor?
To cool the reactor, slow down the neutrons to increase the fission efficiency, and absorb excessive neutrons to control the fission.
Which of the following byproducts of the fission of Uranium-235 (235U, a rare isotope of uranium) leads to the concern of nuclear proliferation?
Plutonium-239
What was the main cause of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident?
The water in the primary nuclear reactor was boiled off but the
emergency water supply was turned off.
What was the main cause of the Chernobyl nuclear accident?
Most control rods were removed and water bubbles developed in the primary nuclear reactor
What was the main cause of the Fukushima nuclear accident?
The backup power for the cooling system was destroyed while the nuclear reactor was shutdown
Which country is the most reliant (by share) on nuclear power?
France
Who is the Billionaire most actively supporting nuclear power?
Bill Gates
According to Prof. McElroy in Chapter 2, wind power is a derivative of the solar energy because wind is driven by
the differences of solar heating between tropics and poles and between land and ocean
Wind turbines rotate in the wind in the same way as a car is pushed towards a passing truck because
the parallel wind flowing between the vehicles are faster than the parallel wind flowing on the open sides (known as the Bernoulli principle).
