"Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity."
The use of nuclear reactions to generate electricity.
Atomic structure: Understanding the structure of an atom is essential to understanding nuclear energy because nuclear reactions involve changes in the nucleus.
Radioactive decay: The process by which an unstable nucleus releases radiation to become more stable.
Half-life: The length of time it takes for half of the radioisotopes to decay.
Nuclear fission: The process by which a heavy nucleus splits into two smaller ones, releasing a large amount of energy.
Nuclear fusion: The process by which two smaller nuclei combine to form a larger one, releasing a large amount of energy.
Nuclear reactions: The changes that take place in the nucleus of an atom, including fission and fusion.
Radiation types: The different types of radiation emitted during nuclear reactions, including alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
Radiation detection: The methods used to detect and measure radiation.
Radiation protection: Methods for protecting people and the environment from radiation.
Nuclear power plants: The design, operation, and safety of nuclear reactors used to generate electricity.
Nuclear weapons: The development and use of nuclear weapons, including their technology and history.
Radioactive waste: The handling, storage, and disposal of radioactive waste generated by nuclear reactors.
Medical uses of radiation: The use of radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.
Environmental impact: The impact of nuclear energy on the environment, including radiation pollution and climate change.
International treaties and agreements: The various international agreements and treaties related to nuclear energy, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Paris Agreement.
Alpha radiation: Consists of alpha particles, which are helium-4 nuclei consisting of two protons and two neutrons. These particles are heavy and easily absorbed by matter, making them relatively harmless outside the body but potentially dangerous if ingested or inhaled.
Beta radiation: Involves beta particles, which are either electrons (beta-minus decay) or positrons (beta-plus decay). Beta particles are lighter than alpha particles and can penetrate farther into matter, but can still be stopped by thick layers of material.
Gamma radiation: Consists of photons of electromagnetic radiation. These photons are highly energetic and can penetrate deep into matter, making them one of the most dangerous types of radiation. Gamma radiation is emitted by many radioactive isotopes and can also be produced by nuclear reactions.
Neutron radiation: Consists of neutrons, which are uncharged particles found in the nucleus of atoms. Neutron radiation is particularly dangerous because neutrons can penetrate deeply into matter and can cause nuclear reactions to occur, leading to the creation of additional hazardous isotopes.
X-ray radiation: Similar to gamma radiation in that both are forms of electromagnetic radiation, but x-rays are lower in energy and can be produced by a variety of sources, including medical imaging equipment and industrial processes.
Ionizing radiation: Refers to any type of radiation that has enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules, meaning it can strip electrons from them, potentially damaging biological molecules and leading to harmful effects.
Background radiation: The low-level radiation that is naturally present in the environment from a variety of sources, including cosmic radiation from space, radiation from naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the earth's crust, and human-influenced sources such as medical imaging and nuclear power plants.
Radioactive decay: The process by which a radioactive isotope emits radiation as it undergoes a transformation into a more stable form. This is the basis for many types of nuclear reactions and the creation of nuclear power.
"Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions."
"Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants."
"Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators in some space probes such as Voyager 2."
"Generating electricity from fusion power remains the focus of international research."
"Most nuclear power plants use thermal reactors with enriched uranium in a once-through fuel cycle."
"It is then cooled for several years in on-site spent fuel pools before being transferred to long-term storage."
"The spent fuel, though low in volume, is high-level radioactive waste."
"All reactors breed some plutonium-239, which is found in the spent fuel, and because Pu-239 is the preferred material for nuclear weapons, reprocessing is seen as a weapon proliferation risk."
"The first nuclear power plant was built in the 1950s."
"The 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union resulted in increased regulation and public opposition to nuclear plants."
"The global installed capacity only increased to 390 GW by 2022."
"These plants supplied 2,586 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2019, equivalent to about 10% of global electricity generation."
"As of August 2023, there are 410 civilian fission reactors in the world."
"The United States has the largest fleet of nuclear reactors."
"Nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions."
"Nuclear power generation causes one of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources."
"Nuclear power plants also emit no greenhouse gases and result in less life-cycle carbon emissions than common 'renewables'."
"The novel radiological hazards associated with nuclear power are the primary motivations of the anti-nuclear movement, which contends that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment."
"Citing the potential for accidents like the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, and is too expensive/slow to deploy when compared to alternative sustainable energy sources."