1. ENERGY SOURCES Nuclear Energy
Chapter 9, Section 2 Notes
ENERGY SOURCES
Nuclear Energy

2. Section 2 Main Idea: Nuclear power plants convert thermal energy produced by the fission of uranium atoms into electrical energy. A. About 20 % of the electricity in the U.S. comes from nuclear power plants.

3. A nuclear reactor contains fuel, rods to control nuclear reactions, and a cooling system. See pages
1. Heat is produced by nuclear fission – energy is released when U-235 nuclei split in two after being struck by a neutron.

4. Special rods absorb excess neutrons to prevent dangerous chain reactions.
The reactor core contains uranium dioxide fuel in the form of tiny pellets.
For every kilogram of uranium that undergoes fission, 1 gram of matter is converted into energy. This one gram of matter releases the same amount of energy as 3 million kilograms of coal.

5. C. Nuclear power plants use the heat of nuclear fission to produce steam. See pages The steams drives a turbine. 2. The turbine rotates an electric generator. D. Nuclear power plants produce nuclear waste – radioactive by-products from radioactive materials. These radioactive products are extremely hazardous and harmful. See page 268.

6. Low-level wastes contain only a small amount of radioactive material.
High-level wastes must be disposed of extremely carefully because they will remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years.
Nuclear power plants produce much less air pollution than fossil-fuel power plants.

7. E. Nuclear fusion – the joining together of nuclei – is not a practical energy source due to the high temperature fusion requires. See page 270.