Question

complete a concept map using the following words from the reading: Nuclear energy, radioactive decay, Nuclear Waste Policy Act, gamma radiation, Cost, Carbon dioxide production, fuel rods, pressure water reactor, nuclear fission. Use words to connect each of these concepts please help me with this!

Answer 1

Terminology used are

Nuclear energy: The energy that is generated due to the decay of radioactive nuclei. This energy is captured in the nuclear reactor, controlling the fission chain and heating up the water to produce steam. This steam is used to turn turbines and produce electricity.

radioactive decay,gamma radiation,nuclear fission: It is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. The process involved here is nuclear fission. This means one heavy atomic nuclei is split ,to give raise to daughter nuclei and energy in the form of gamma radiation

Nuclear Waste Policy Act: The source of the nuclear energy is enriched radioactive nuclei. The waste produced after the use of fuel is called nuclear fuel. This act was passed for safe and permanent disposal of nuclear waste.

Cost: set up cost is high for nuclear reactors, but once it is set up the costs will be minimal for maintanance.

Carbon dioxide production: There is no carbon dioxide production in the nuclear reactors, as we are not burning any coal here.

fuel rods: The nuclear fuel is in the form of rods known as fuel rods

pressure water reactor: The water chamber surrounding the fuel rods is known as pressure water reactor

summary:

Nuclear energy is a clean energy because it doesnot use coal for steam production, instead it uses nuclear energy, as there is no coal this is free of carbon dioxide. Fuel rods are used instead of coal. The nuclear energy is nothing but the kinetic energy of nutrons and the gamma radiation obtained after nuclear fission by radio active decay . The fast moving neutrons and gamma radiation interact with the water in the pressure water reactor to produce steam. set up cost is high for nuclear reactors, but once it is set up the costs will be minimal for maintanance. Initially there is no act in place to dispose the nuclear waste , but later the Nuclear Waste Policy Act was brought to safely dispose the waste.