3.

2 Nuclear Reactions and Energy

 Nuclear Fission
Chain Reaction
Nuclear Reactor
Nuclear Fusion
 Nuclear reactions involve enormous changes in
energy.
E=mc2
E energy
m mass
c speed of light (3.00 x 108 m/s)
During a nuclear reaction a small amount of
mass can be converted into a large amount of
energy.
 Nuclear fission is the process of
splitting a nucleus into two or more
smaller fragments.
This is accompanied by a large release
of energy.
Nuclear Fission using Uranium-235

Note that the sums of the mass numbers on

the left and right are equal.
 As WWII started scientists were trying to find a
way to sustain nuclear fission in a chain reaction.
A chain reaction is a continuing series of reactions
in which each produces a product that can react
again.
In fission of uranium, each neutron produced has
the potential to cause the fission of another atom
of uranium-235.
In order for a chain reaction to occur there must
be enough of a sample of the material for the
neutrons to collide with other atoms.
 Supercritical mass
If the amount of fissionable material is
much greater than the critical mass the
chain reaction escalates out of control and
an explosion results.
All of the energy is released at once.
This is what happens when an atomic bomb
explodes.
In order for nuclear energy to be useful the
reaction must be controlled so that the energy
can be released slowly.
 Nuclear power plants generate
electrical energy through the controlled
fission of uranium.
This is done in a nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device that is
used to extract energy form
radioactive fuel.
 Nuclear Reactors and Pollution
Nuclear reactors do not produce CO2 and
other pollutants.
They do produce radioactive waste that is
difficult to safely dispose of.
There is the risk of the release of this
nuclear waste into the environment.
Problems with Nuclear Reactors
Nuclear energy costs more to produce than
energy produced through the burning of
fossil fuels.
 Nuclear fusion is the process of combining
two or more nuclei to form a larger nucleus.
Nuclear fusion is the process that occurs in
the sun and other stars to produce energy.
Nuclear FusionHydrogen to Helium
 The fusion of hydrogen to produce
helium produces 20x more energy than
the fission of the same amount of
uranium.
It does not produce any radioactive
waste.
Fusion reactions are easier to control
than fission reaction.
 Problems with nuclear fusion
Problems with initiating and containing a fusion
reaction have prevented its use as a practical
energy source.
Nuclear fusion reactions require a large amount of
energy to start the fusion reaction.
In order to initiate a fusion reaction on earth a
temperature greater than 100million Kelvins
would be required.
No material exists on earth that could contain
the reaction.