5/17/12 Baha Hussein 9B

 Nuclear Fuel: is an energy source that results from splitting atoms.  Nuclear power plants do not pollute the air or water with toxic chemicals, but they can cause thermal pollution of water ways.  The disposal of radioactive nuclear wastes presents a huge environmental problem

 Most nuclear fuels contain heavy fissile elements that are capable of nuclear fission. When these fuels are struck by neutrons, they are in turn capable of emitting neutrons when they break apart. This makes possible a self- sustaining chain reaction that releases energy with a controlled rate in a nuclear reactor or with a very rapid uncontrolled rate in a nuclear weapon.

 The most common fissile nuclear fuels are uranium-235( 235 U) and plutonium-239 ( 239 Pu). The actions of mining, refining, purifying, using, and ultimately disposing of nuclear fuel together make up the nuclear fuel cycle.

 a fissile material is one that is capable of sustaining a chain reaction of nuclear fission.  In other words fissile materials can sustain a chain reaction with neutrons of any energy. The predominant neutron energy may be typified by either slow neutrons.

 It can help preserve our resources,it can also help to limit the negative impact of industrialization.We can REDUCE our demand for energy and manufactured goods that we don’t really need. We also can REUSE manufactured products rather than waste them, and last we can RECYCLE as many products as possible.

 Nuclear energy facts. Nuclear energy is non-renewable energy source. Read some interesting facts about nuclear energy.  Nuclear energy is energy that is released either by splitting atomic nuclei or by forcing the nuclei of atoms together.  Nuclear energy comes from mass-to-energy conversions that occur in the splitting of atoms. Albert Einstein’s famous mathematical formula E = mc 2 explains this. The equation says: E [energy] equals m [mass] times c 2 [c stands for the speed or velocity of light]. This means that it is mass multiplied by the square of the velocity of light.  Nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction and creates heat—which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive a steam turbine.  Nuclear power can come from the fission of uranium, plutonium or thorium or the fusion of hydrogen into helium. Today it is almost all uranium. The basic energy fact is that the fission of an atom of uranium produces 10 million times the energy produced by the combustion of an atom of carbon from coal.