Essay/Term paper: Nuclear energy

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science Reports

Nuclear Energy


During the twentieth century scientists have discovered how to unleash
the most powerful energy of all; Nuclear energy. The study of nuclear energy
began for the same reasons that most scientific studies are begun; to understand
more about the universe and the laws by which the universe works. The more
knowledge we have about the universe, the more we can control the world in which
we live.
Nuclear energy is contained in the center, or nucleus of an atom. This
energy is also known as atomic energy because its obtained from atoms,
unfortunately this is not a good choice of words (because many other energies
are obtained from atoms). An atomic bomb explosion shows just how powerful
muclear energy really is. Such as the underwater explosion of an atomic bomb at
Bikini during 1946. This powerful type of energy comes from many things such as
atoms and subatomic particles; an atom is a tiny bit of matter that has very
little weight. They are much too light to be weighed directly, but scientists
have developed methods of determining these tiny weightd by using special
labratory instruments. Hydrogen is the lightest of all atoms and carbon atoms
weigh twelve times more than the hydrogen atom. Atoms that make up one
alement are not like atoms that make up another element.
These (atoms) are not simple particles, their structure is very complexe.
They are, in fact, made up of smaller bits of matter called subatomic particles.
An atom has two parts. Those two parts are; 1)at the center is a nucleus, a
densely packed core composed of two kinds of paticles: protons and neutrons and
2)electrons. The charge in a nucleus of an atom is carried by a particle called
a proton, the number of protons in an atom's nucleus is calle the atomic number
of the atom. Atomic numbers are always whole numbers such as +92. Each atomic
number is always a whole number, and each chemical element has its own atomic
number. Protons have a positive electrical charge, yet electrons have a negative
charge and since opposite charges attract, it keeps them in their orbits around
the nucleus. Neutrons are neutral and weigh a bit more than protons. The
breaking apart or joining together of atomic nuclei is called a nuclear
reaction. A tramendous amount of energy may be released by a nuclear reaction.
Nuclear energy is housed in a nuclear reactor. There are many types of nuclear
reactors such as a pressurized water reactor.
There is no specific place where nuclear nergy may be found, neither is
there a special geographical place a nuclear power plant must be located. There
are many hundreds of nuclear power plants throughout the world, not to mention,
many military and research reactors. In the United states alone there are over
a hundred plants; about 15% of the nations electricity is produced at these
plants. Frace is the leading user of nuclear energy throughout the world, 65%
of their electricity is prduced in Nuclear power plants. Other leaders include;
Belgium-60%, Sweden-50%, Switzerland-40%, Finland-38%, West Germany-30%, Japan-
22%, Spain and Britain-20%, and Soviet-Union-14%. There have been many
accidents concerning nuclear power plants, despite the usually good safety
record. Two of the most serious accidents have taken place in; 1)the United
Staes, when a Unit 2 power plant on Three Mile Island, Southeast of Harrisburg,
Pennysania and 2) U.S.S.R. the worst accident concerning nuclear reactors
occured on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl reactor #4 lacated in a reactor
complex near Kiev, Soviet Ukraine.
There are advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power. Nuclear
weapons are the most powerful and fearsome weapons ever introduced to man. Not
only because of the enormouse amount of physical damage that results from their
detonation but also because of the radiation it releases. Radiation can have
long-term effects on humans and our environement. these long-term effects
consists of things like:

1)radiation disrupts the process that takes place in the nuclei of
living organismes cells, decreasing the resistance of disease and increasing
risks of developing cancer.
2)Abnormalities such as mongolism can be passed to offspring. The
damage done to our environment is irrepirable. Not to mention it is unknown if
the disposal of nuclear waste will have any effects on our environement had we
will not know until many years to come. The advantage of nuclear energy is it's
a great source of power used to produce electricity for things such as light.

Many people throughout the world use nuclear energy in thier everyday
lives. It is used to produce electricity for running our homes, schools and
businesses. Also lighting, heating and cooling.
Nuclear energy is better than any other type of energy because it is the
most powerful type of energy that can be created.
It is better than the following energy for example: 1) Hydro energy,
because when created, rivers have to be blocked by dams. Thereby, most likely,
flooding of wastelands where certain animal types may have their homes would be
destroyed and maybe even cause death to those animals. In saome cases possible
extinction.2) Heat energy created by the burning of wood because it is very
destructive to our forest. Trees are a necessity of oxygen, shelter and food to
animals and even humans. Finally 3)solar energy because you don't have to
depend on the sum to shine.
In conclusion due to the potential for accidents or sabotage at nuclear
power plants, they are not as common as power plants for other types of
power/energy. The problems associated with radioactive waste produced, these
plants have long been a subject of controversy. The developement of nuclear
energy, for both peaceful and wartime uses is much more than a scientific issue.
It is also a prominent public issue among people in all nations. Because of
disasters at nuclear power plants such as the one at Chernobyl, people
everywhere refuse to except nuclear power palnts anywhere near their homes.
They also refuse to have nuclear waste disposal sites near their homes no matter
how safe the gouvernment and companies may say it is.