Lesson: Nuclear Energy | Mr. Q

Labelling

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sulfur dioxide

sulfuric acid

O2

H2O

oxygen

​Negative Impacts:

1. Acid rain (sulfuric acid)

2. Changing rainfall patterns

3. Famine

4. Cooler surface but hotter stratosphere

5. Destroy ozone layer

6. Political excuse to delay action.

Another kind of energy

Mr. Q, 2023

​Stratospheric aerosol injections, space mirrors, cloud seeding

1-Lower amount of energy we get from the sun

​CO₂ air capture and storage, biochar, afforestation, direct injection, alkalinity addition

2-Reduce the carbon in the atmosphere

​​3-???

makes life on Earth possible (grow plants that produce oxygen, create warmth)

Solar Energy

falling mass produces energy (hydroelectric energy), maintains Earth's atmosphere

​​Gravitational Energy

???

​3 biggest sources of energy on Earth

Structure of the Atom

Cloud (-)

​Electron (-)

Nucleus (+)

Proton (+)

Neutron (neutral)

​Nuclear energy

Types of nuclear reactions

1. Nuclear Fission

A nuclear reaction in which a big (heavy) nucleus splits

1. spontaneously or

2. when hit by another particle,

with the release of energy.

​1. Spontaneous decay of Radium 226 into Radon 222 and alpha particle

​2. when hit by another particle.

2. On impact with another particle:​

Nuclear fission chain reaction

Reactants

²³⁵U

uranium

Products

¹³⁹₅₆Ba

barium 139

n

neutron

+

--->

+

n

neutron

⁹⁵₃₆Kr

krypton 36

+

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Multiple Select

Can you guess where nuclear fission occurs?

• Most current nuclear power plants

• All around us

• In radioactive waste

• In the sun

• In nuclear bombs

Small amounts of nuclear fission is happening all around us

(Carbon Dating)

Nuclear Power Plants

• Reactors with controlled U-235 fission reactions

• These reactions produce heat & steam, which spins turbines that generate electricity.

• A very small amount of U-235 can produce the same amount of energy as a very large amount of coal (fossil fuel!) & no CO2 is produced.

• There is a limited supply of U-235 & fission produces radioactive waste.

​Storing the byproduct of nuclear energy (nuclear waste) is a long-term problem.

Fusion

A nuclear reaction in which two atoms with a small nucleus fuse to form one atom with a bigger (heavier) nucleus with the release of energy.

Reactants

³H

tritium

Products

He

helium

²H

deuterium

+

->

+

----

Reactants

X

element X

0.1 kg

Products

Q

element Q

0.21 kg

Y

element Y

0.12 kg

+

->

+

----

Multiple Choice

Have a guess:

If you put the reactants and products of a nuclear reaction on a tiny balance, which one would have more mass?

(The picture is of a nuclear fusion reaction.)

• The reactants would have more mass.

• The products would have more mass.

• The reactants and products should have the same mass.

Where did the mass go?

Calculating the energy released from

Known:

m = what is missing

= total mass_products - total mass_reactants

= 0.22kg - 0.21kg

=0.01kg

c = speed of light ​= 3.0 x 10⁸ m/s

Formula:

E=mc²

​E = mc²

= 0.01kg x (3x10⁸ m/s)²

= 0.01kg x 9x10¹⁶ m^2/s²

= 9x 10¹⁵ kg m²/s²

= 9x 10¹⁵ J

Multiple Choice

Can you guess where fusion occurs?

(Hint: It's natural.)

• Most current nuclear power plants

• All around us

• In radioactive waste

• In the sun

• In nuclear bombs

The Sun

• a massive ball of plasma.  

• It is constantly burning so hot that hydrogen is fused together to form helium.

• This happens at such a rate that a huge amount of energy is released.

Multiple Select

Which of the following correctly display nuclear fission?

Multiple Select

Which of the following correctly display nuclear fusion?

Multiple Choice

The process of combining the nuclei of atoms to make different atoms is called _________?

• Fission

• Nuclear Reaction

• Fusion

• Particle Accelerator

Multiple Choice

Breaking up the nucleus of an atom is called _________?

• Fusion

• Nuclear Reaction

• Fission

• Particle Accelerator