Nuclear Power Flashcards
Advantages of nuclear power?
Lots of power without much CO2.
Nuclear reactions release more energy than chemical reactions like burning.
Uranium is relatively cheap.
There is plenty of uranium.
Disadvantages to nuclear power?
Nuclear power station are expensive to build, maintain and eventually shut down and made safe.
It takes longer to start up than fossil fuel power stations.
There is a risk of leaks of radioactive material.
Radioactive waste.
Uranium is non renewable.
What is plutonium used for?
Make nuclear bombs.
Used uranium can be reprocessed what are you left with after this process?
Uranium and plutonium.
How does nuclear power work using uranium?
The nuclear power, uranium is split in two. This releases lots of heat energy. Water is used as a coolant to take away heat produced by the fission process. The heat is used to produce steam which turns a turbine and generator.
