There are many types of energy that release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These gases are bad for the Earth and can lead to climate change.
To decrease carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, research is being done on many types of alternative energy forms. One of these alternative forms of energy is nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is produced when atoms are split in a nuclear reactor. When the nucleus of an atom is split, a large amount of energy is released. This energy is used to heat water into steam, which will turn a turbine and generate electricity.
One of the problems that needs to be solved with nuclear fuel is how to deal with the radioactive waste, especially the spent fuel rods. One of the elements produced is plutonium, which has a half-life of 24,000 years. This means that it will take 24,000 years for half of the substance to decay. In order to use nuclear power effectively, methods need to be developed to deal with this waste.
Used nuclear waste being stored.
In this lesson you will develop models to illustrate the reactions that are related to nuclear power.
Question
There is much controversy about nuclear power plants. What is one advantage and what is one disadvantage to using nuclear power?
Nuclear power is an alternative source of energy that does not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; however, it does produce wastes that are still radioactive and need to be stored for long periods of time.
