Nuclear Energy– Chapter 20

Power Point Notes

Vocabulary:

1.  Fission

2.  Nuclear energy

3.  Nuclear reactor

4.  Reactor core

5.  Radioisotope

6.  Fuel rods

7.  Moderator

8.  Control rods

9.  Containment building

10.  Meltdown

11.  Half-life

12.  Advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear energy (page 567):

13.  For the next question read pages 567 – 568 – The Science Behind the Story and look at Figure 20.6:

a.  Given the choice of living next to a nuclear power plant or living next to a coal-fired power plant, which would you choose? Why?

b.  What would concern you most about each option?

14.  Read Breeder Reactors Make Better Use of fuel, but have raised Safety Concerns on pages 567 – 568.

a.  What fuel do breeder reactors use?

b.  What are the pros of using breeder reactors?

c.  What are the cons of using breeder reactors?

15.  What is nuclear fusion?

16.  Look at page 569 – 570. Why is there a:

1.  Loss in net energy

2.  EROI of lower than 1

17.  What would be the benefits of nuclear fusion?

18.  What occurred at each of the following nuclear disaster and why?

a.  Three Mile Island:

b.  Chernobyl

c.  Fukushima

19.  What is radioactive waste?

20.  Give examples of high levels and low levels of radioactive waste.

21.  Waste disposal:

  1. Ocean
  1. Wet storage
  1. Dry storage
  1. Yucca Mountain

22.  What do we do with old nuclear reactors?

23.  What is the NRC and what are they responsible for?

24.  Read page 576. List several reasons for the reduction in nuclear power plants being built.

25.  What is occurring that might increase the number of nuclear power plants around the world?