Nuclear power can be either a great benefit or a terrible burden to humanity. In
ID: 2055152 • Letter: N
Question
Nuclear power can be either a great benefit or a terrible burden to humanity. In the wrong hands, nuclear power can be used to create weapons of mass destruction. Harnessed, nuclear power can be a great source of energy. However, its use remains controversial.Explain how nuclear power can be used to create energy. Detail how nuclear power plants operate. Also, explain how nuclear power could be used to create a weapon. Detail what a chain reaction is and what role it plays in the creation of a nuclear weapon.
Do you think the benefits of nuclear power outweigh the risks?
Explanation / Answer
There are two nuclear processes of creating energy: nuclear fusion, and nuclear fission. Nuclear fission is the process of taking a heavier element (usually Uranium-235), and firing a neutron at it to break it apart into multiple smaller atoms. This is the type of process currently used in nuclear power plants, and atomic bombs. This process is dangerous as it creates toxic waste which leads to some terrible diseases. As you may know from the Chernobyl/Japan disasters, there are dangers associated with running a plant as well. The chain reaction associated with this is as follows: when the neutron collides with the uranium isotope, after the atom breaks apart, it releases two more neutrons which then go to collide with other atoms. This is controlled by placing rods in-between bars of uranium in nuclear reactors that absorb the excess neutrons in a struggle to maintain a 1-1 ratio with the neutrons vs uranium atoms. Here is an example of an uncontrolled chain reaction using mousetraps and ping-pong balls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjqIJW_Qr3c Nuclear fusion is exactly the reverse: It is the process of taking two or more lighter elements and fusing them into one nuclei. If the the atomic number of the atoms is below 26, then they create energy with this process, and if they are higher, they absorb energy. This is what occurs in our sun millions of times every second when two hydrogen atoms fuse to become one helium atom. Scientists have been trying for decades to sustain this chemical reaction in labs (essentially creating a mini-star), because it produces astronomically larger amounts of energy than nuclear fission, it's far safer, and doesn't produce toxic waste. Both of these processes could mean a world apocalypse in the wrong hands, because their incredible energy production can create very powerful and deadly bombs. In weapons, these vast amounts of energy are released all concentrated at once, in one particular spot, and with current nuclear fission bombs, in addition to the initial damage from the bombs, the feeling of it is felt long afterwards with the nuclear radiation. However, if scientists could sustain nuclear fusion, this would mean the end of every energy problem in the world. This could solve huge problems in the world, like all the tension in Iran that's going on right now, and give third world countries the main resources to get off of their feet. There would be so much energy that plants could produce, it would (or even could) be free. I personally think that the benefits outweigh the risks in the present, and will stand by my opinion even more when nuclear fusion is mastered, because it will solve so many more problems than just having essentially unlimited energy.
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