APES Chapter 20 Flashcards
nuclear energy
the energy that holds together protons and neutrons within the nucleus of an atom
nuclear fission
the splitting apart of atomic nuclei
nuclear reactors
facilities that control fission within power plants
breeder reactors
a nuclear reactor that creates more fissile material than it consumes and uses primarily Uranium-238 and Plutonium-239
nuclear fusion
the conversion of the energy within an atom’s nucleus to usable thermal energy by forcing together the small nuclei of lightweight elements under extremely high temperature and pressure
three mile island
a nuclear power plant in PN that in 1979 experienced a partial meltdown (it is the biggest nuclear reactor accident we have ever experienced)
meltdown
the accidental melting of the uranium fuel rods inside the core of a nuclear reactor causing radiation to be released
chernobyl
- Explosion at a nuclear plant in Ukraine caused most sever nuclear power plant accident that the world has seen yet
- Turned off safety systems to conduct tests
- Human error + unsafe reactor design = explosion
- Sent radioactive debris into the air
- Radiation escaped or 10 days straight
- Soviet Union kept evacuating people
- Landscape around it remained contaminated
- Directly killed 31 people and many others got cancer or were sickened by the radiation
- Atmospheric currents carried the radioactivity through the air and around the world
bioenergy/biomass energy
energy obtained from biomass resources
biomass
consists of organic material derived from living or recently dead organisms and it contains energy
biopower
the burning of biomass energy sources to generate electricity
biofuels
liquid fuels used primarily to power automobiles
ethanol
the alcohol in beer, wine and liquor that is produced by fermenting biomass
biodeisel
a fuel produced from vegetable oil, used cooking grease, and animal fat
cellulosic ethanol
enzymes that produce ethanol from the cellulose that gives structure to all plant material
