Fission And Fusion Flashcards
Describe the main stages in the production of electricity
- nuclear reaction takes place to produce heat
- heat creates steam from water
- steam turns a turbine
- the turbine turns a generator, to produce electricity
What does nuclear fission produce
Radioactive waste
Describe the difference between fission and fusion
- fission is splitting of nuclei
- fusion is the joining of nuclei
How many scientists have claimed to successfully achieve ‘cold fusion’?
One group
Explain why the scientists claims are disputed (cold fusion)
Because other scientists could not repeat their findings
Describe what happens to allow uranium to release energy
- uranium nucleus hit by neutron
- causes nucleus to split
- energy released
- more neutrons released
Explain what is meant by a chain reaction
- when each uranium nucleus splits more than one neutron is given out
- these neutrons can cause further uranium nuclei to split
Explain how scientists stop nuclear reactions going out of control
- rods placed in the reactor
- to absorb some of the neutrons
- allowing enough neutrons to remain to keep the process operating
Describe nuclear bomb
A chain reaction that has gone out of control
Describe how nuclear fusion release energy
- fusion happens when two nuclei join together
- fusion happens large amounts of heat energy
- fusion happens at extremely high temperatures
Describe why fusion for power generation is difficult
- requires extremely high temperatures
- high temperatures have to be safely managed
Explain how different isotopes of hydrogen can undergo fusion to form helium
- in stars, fusion happens under extremely high temperatures and pressures
- fusion bombs are started with a fission reaction which creates exceptionally high temperatures
- for power generation exceptionally high temperatures and/or pressures are requires and this combustion offers (to date) safety and practical changes
What fuel do nuclear power stations use
Uranium
