Nuclear Power Research Paper
“Nuclear energy research initially was concentrated on producing an atomic bomb for use in World War II. The development of nuclear energy for… the generation of electricity began only after the war ended in 1945” (Miller 1). Due to quick assumptions and little research, nuclear energy is thought of to be a safety hazard and used for weaponry and destruction amongst people. However, nuclear energy is more than mere darkness. People do not realize that there is more to nuclear energy than danger. As this paper progresses, there are four questions to be answered; do the benefits outweigh the risks, is nuclear energy safe for humans and the environment, is nuclear energy a good solution to climate change, and what is the future of nuclear energy? As the attempt to answer these questions conveys, one may form his or her own opinion of nuclear energy.
To answer the four previous questions, one must understand the logistics behind nuclear energy. The basic building blocks of matter are atoms, atoms in turn go through a process called fission1, in which large amounts of energy are released to heat water and create steam. This steam is used to spin steam turbines, creating electricity.
This is the basic understanding of how steam is made to create electricity, what does nuclear energy have to do with this? The nuclei of radioactive elements are unstable, giving out energy as they break apart and go through several stages in order to become stable. In this several stage process, the radioactive isotopes’ nuclei decompose to acquire a more stable number of protons and neutrons. However, they release radiation2 in the form of high-energy waves. There are three forms of these energy waves, alpha, beta, and gamma waves. The alpha waves are the weakest of the three and the least harmful of them. These waves have two protons and two neutrons, making them positively charged. These waves can be stopped by a sheet of paper or by one’s skin. However if released into the
To answer the four previous questions, one must understand the logistics behind nuclear energy. The basic building blocks of matter are atoms, atoms in turn go through a process called fission1, in which large amounts of energy are released to heat water and create steam. This steam is used to spin steam turbines, creating electricity.
This is the basic understanding of how steam is made to create electricity, what does nuclear energy have to do with this? The nuclei of radioactive elements are unstable, giving out energy as they break apart and go through several stages in order to become stable. In this several stage process, the radioactive isotopes’ nuclei decompose to acquire a more stable number of protons and neutrons. However, they release radiation2 in the form of high-energy waves. There are three forms of these energy waves, alpha, beta, and gamma waves. The alpha waves are the weakest of the three and the least harmful of them. These waves have two protons and two neutrons, making them positively charged. These waves can be stopped by a sheet of paper or by one’s skin. However if released into the
Cited: Cravens, Gwyneth. Power to save the World: The Truth about Nuclear Energy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print. Irvine, J. M. Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2011. Print. Miller, Debra A. Nuclear Energy. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. Print. "Nuclear Energy: Pros and Cons." Triple Pundit RSS. Triple Pundit, 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Snedden, Robert. Nuclear Energy. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library, 2002. Print. The Oxford American College Dictionary. New York: G.P. Putnam 's Sons, 2002. Print. "What Is Uranium? How Does It Work?" What Is Uranium? How Does It Work. World Nuclear Association, Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Zoellner, Tom. Uranium: War, Energy, and the Rock That Shaped the World. New York: Viking, 2009. Print.