NUCLEAR PHYSICS

NUCLEAR PHYSICS

Nuclear Energy
Energy is the ability to do work, where work is the movement of something when an effort is applied. We need and we use energy in our lives every day. We use energy to contract our muscles and move our cars. Energy from the sun lights the sky and warms the planet. The energy from the sun is a type of nuclear energy or energy created from nuclear reactions.

Nuclear energy means the energy released by controlled nuclear reactions. Nuclear energy can be either natural or man-made. Natural nuclear energy is that which is produced naturally. For example, heat and light produced by the sun and other stars through nuclear reactions is natural nuclear energy. Man-made nuclear energy is one generated with the help of nuclear reaction operations under human control. For example, the energy generated by explosion of atomic and hydrogen bombs are man-made nuclear energy.

Man-made nuclear energy is obtained either by splitting of heavy atoms or by the joining of light atoms. Usually, nuclear energy is produced with the help of a nuclear power plant which makes a controlled atomic chain reaction for producing heat. Nuclear energy, also known as atomic energy, serves as an important source of power.

Atoms are the smallest building blocks of matter, and matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Different atoms make up different elements; for example, hydrogen, helium, gold and silver are all elements. Each atom contains a nucleus, and the nucleus contains protons and neutrons. Electrons surround the nucleus of an atom. A nuclear reaction is a reaction that changes the nucleus of an atom. In other words, the number of protons and/or neutrons is changed as a result of a nuclear reaction.

There are two types of nuclear reactions;

• Fission occurs when large nuclei are split into smaller fragments. Nuclear fission is used to generate electricity in our nuclear power plants. Fission occurs when uranium nuclei are bombarded with neutrons. The neutrons hit and split the uranium nuclei into fragments. The fission releases a lot of energy and other neutrons as well. Those other neutrons, in turn, cause a chain reaction and cause other uranium nuclei to split, and additional energy is released. Nuclear power plants can generate a lot of electricity from a very small amount of uranium and no pollution released into the atmosphere. Nuclear fission, however, produces radioactive waste that is harmful to life and has to be properly stored.

• Fusion takes place when small nuclei are put together to make a bigger one. Nuclear fusion is all about how our sun generates energy. Fusion requires extremely high temperatures, and those high temperatures are readily available in the sun. In fusion, small nuclei fuse to form a larger helium nucleus. That's what happens on our sun; a lot of energy is released when the smaller nuclei are fused together. Fusion generates more energy than fission. The advantage of fusion is there is no radioactive waste and hydrogen is readily available as the source.

Advantages of nuclear energy
• It produces more energy when compared to hydro and wind energy.

• It does not emit carbon dioxide or other air pollutants from the operation of its reactors

• Its fuel comes from uranium which is abundantly present in the earth.

Disadvantages of nuclear energy
• It can be used for production and expansion of nuclear weapons which may cause large-scale devastation

• It requires large capital cost

• It produces unstable waste elements that are highly radioactive

• It is dangerous to the environment as well as human health because of the radiation that it produces and lack of economical and safe disposal of radioactive nuclear wastes.