Nuclear Fission and Fusion Flashcards
What is fusion?
When small nuclei combine to form larger ones.
What 2 nuclei were used in nuclear fusion research?
Deuterium and Tritium.
What causes nuclear fusion to be so difficult?
Electrostatic repulsion.
What’s meant by electrostatic repulsion?
When nuclei have the same charge and repel one another.
How close do the nuclei in fusion have to get before they fuse?
A million millionth of a millimetre of each other.
Nuclei are more likely to collide if their density is ______.
High.
How hot are the temperatures in a fusion reactor?
150 million degrees celsius.
Why must the fusion reactor be so hot?
To make the nuclei travel fast enough to overcome the electrostatic repulsion.
Why have many fusion reactors failed?
It’s difficult to create these conditions on earth and so far none of the experimental reactors have produced more energy than has been put in.
Where does fusion occur naturally?
Stars.
What fusion reaction takes place to form the energy source for stars?
Hydrogen nuclei combining to form helium is the energy source for stars.
Who investigated how uranium emits light after being exposed to sunlight?
Henri Becquerel.
How long does HLW produce ionising radiation for?
50 years.
How is HLW transported?
In thick concrete and steel containers until the waste is less radioactive.
How is ILW stored?
In concrete and steel containers.
True or False:
ILW has been disposed of.
False, it hasn’t been yet until it is LLW
Why is LLW compacted and buried in special land fill sites?
To prevent the possibility of radioactive material leaking into soil/water.
What’s a problem with firing radioactive material into space to dispose of it?
- If it falls back down to earth it’s peak
- Uses a lot of energy
- Expensive
What’s a problem with dumping radioactive barrels into the sea to dispose of it?
The barrels can corrode and release radioactive materials that could enter the food chain.
What’s a problem burying radioactive material in the ground to dispose of it?
The site needs to be geographically stable. For example, it has to be an area with very low risk of natural disasters like earthquakes.
