The nuclear debate following the radiation leak at the fukushima nuclear power plant in japan, caused by the terrible earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on march 11, this lesson discusses some of the pros and cons of nuclear power. Fusion, fission, alpha decay, beta decay, or gamma decay. In power plants, atoms are moved at high speeds and collide with each other. Nuclear power plant failures in japan raise safety questions. What are the three main sections of a nuclear power plant. Each type uses steam to drive a turbine generator that produces electricity. Teachers edition oak ridge institute for science and education. Read and download ebook nuclear power fission vs fusion worksheet pdf at public ebook library nuclear power fission vs fusion worksheet pdf download. In nuclear fusion, small nuclei are combined to form a larger nucleus this process releases a very large amount of energy, and is the main source of energy in the sun. Nuclear reactor is the main component of nuclear power plant and nuclear fuel is subjected to nuclear fission. List the steps of creating electricity using a steam turbine.
It resulted in a total meltdown of the reactor core, a vast emission of radionuclides, and. A nuclear power plant uses much less fuel than a fossilfuel plant. Worksheet nuclear power stations teaching resources. They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a. Nuclear power plant working principle of nuclear power plant. It produces far more power per ton than any other energy source. Nuclear fission is a process where a heavy nucleus is spitted into two or more smaller nuclei. Find out how many nuclear power plants exist in the united states. Level intermediate and above equivalent to cef level b1 and above.
The activities will be done after the teachers explanation. This worksheet has 3 fill in the blank, 10 short answer. Well, it is often a lot like how electricity is generated at a coal power plant, but with one key difference. The steam is used to drive the turbines which produce electricity as in most fossil fuel plants. Nuclear atomic power plant advantages of nuclear power plant. Policies that reduce the cost of fossil fuels could benefit natural gas plants, which are. Nuclear power fission vs fusion worksheet pdf one day, you will discover a new. The first nuclear reactor was built in 1941 by enrico fermi, and the first nuclear power plant was established. This water from around the nuclear core is sent to another section of the power plant. Read and summarize a current event article regarding the nuclear power plants in japan. Tell what is being done to make five of the following energy systems produce more usable energy. Using your kn owledge of nuclear chemistry, write the equations for the following processes. Engineers have been quietly working on new and safer designs for nuclear power plants, and the political climate may be swinging slowly back in favor of nuclear power.
In nuclear fission, large nuclei break apart to form smaller ones, releasing a large amount of energy. A nuclear power plant is similar to a conventional thermal power plant. Unlike a traditional coalburning power plant, a nuclear power plant uses the energy, or heat, produced by the fission of uranium, rather than the burning of coal, to heat water into the steam required to turn the turbines that power electric generators. Here, in the heat exchanger, it heats another set of pipes filled with water to make steam. Why is u235 the uranium isotope with a mass of 234 amu a special element and what is it used.
On november 9, 1991, the salem unit 2 nuclear power plant experienced a destructive turbine overspeed. Nuclear power plant is one of the mode of the power generation. Possible websites to search are cnn, pbs, and nytimes. So, instead of burning a fuel, nuclear power plants use the chain reaction of atoms splitting to change the energy of atoms into heat energy. Subcriticality, criticality and supercriticality 6. Answer questions 110 and turn in before leaving class. The heat source in the nuclear power plant is a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactors nuclear power plant nuclear reactor. In a nuclear power plant, nuclear fission is used to generate electricity. Report turbinegenerator overspeed protection systems.
The teacher explains the theory about nuclear energy by means of the powerpoint. Fission is used in nuclear power plants to generate energy. Nuclear power, in stasis for many years, may make a comeback. Control rods yellow are placed among the fuel rods gray to absorb excess electrons. In this energy worksheet, students explore nuclear fission reactions and the amount of energy produced by fission. Browse nuclear power resources on teachers pay teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources. Those who support nuclear power point out that a very small amount of nuclear fuel can create a huge amount of energy, and that unlike the 8 burn of fossil fuels such as oil, 9 cool, and natural gas, nuclear power plants dont contribute to global 10 heating by pushing 11. The chernobyl disaster and how it has been understood.
Nuclear energy through a virtual field trip lesson. Label and explain the functions of the different parts of the reactor vessel. Nuclear power plants worksheet key university of south. The chernobyl disaster, also referred to as the chernobyl accident, was a catastrophic nuclear accident.
How many new nuclear power plants are planned to be built in china over the next 30 years. Nuclear power webquest madison county school district. Space required is less when compared with other power plants. How is electricity generated at a nuclear power plant. Complete the nuclear power webquest alone or with one partner.
The chernobyl accident was probably the worst possible catastrophe of a nuclear power station. They are guided by a handout that provides the urls and questions to answer from their readings. Biomass digesters or waste to energy plants cogeneration plants fossil fuel power plants fuel cells geothermal power plants nuclear power plants. Nuclear power for energy generation nuclear reactor concepts workshop manual, u. The students have a worksheet with different activities to do. Operat ing a nuclear power plant identify the document what are the different parts of the text about. This is the most common type of nuclear reactor found in the united states and throughout western europe. Instead of using the full equations in the style above, in many situations a compact notation is used to describe nuclear reactions. Some consider nuclear power a cleaner form of energy than fossil fuels like coal and oil because no carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere during the nuclear fission process. As is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity. Nuclear power plants worksheet university of south florida. From that information and from the ines users manual, the. Heat is produced in the reactor when neutrons strike the uranium atoms resulting in a chain reaction. In your explanation, describe the technology, cost, environmental impacts, and safety concerns.
A heavy isotope generally uranium235u235 is used as a nuclear fuel in the nuclear reactor because it has the ability to control the. Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools. Without electric power, a single day cannot move further. The fuel in a fission plant is uranium, a material in limited supply. Electric power has become an important and essential resources, it is used for all the purposes. Nuclear power does not contribute to air pollution. See, for example, general design safety principles for nuclear power plants, a safety guide, no. Nuclear power nuclear power comes from the radioactive ore uranium. How many new nuclear power plants have been built in the u. Exposure to radioactive materials can result in mutations, illness or death. As the scope of the nuclear energy is expanded, the role of materials is at the front and center. The event did not result in any release of radioactivity or personnel injury. Because the supply of u235 is limited, nuclear power is a nonrenewable energy resource.
It is a fullscale plant, and it proved all kinds of firsts in nuclear power. The fictitious town of solutionville is trying to figure out a way to replace their current coalfired power plants with cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. Power plant diagram boiling water reactor bwr power plant diagram. Before construction of a nuclear power plant, a complex set of procedures is laid down to ensure that a good and thorough design has been worked up and a suitable site chosen. Nuclear power webquest new providence school district. Students will read a passage about nuclear fission and interpret a diagram of a nuclear reactor power plant to answer questions about nuclear energy. Nuclear power plant virtual field trip handout answer key teach. Students learn about nuclear energy generation through a nuclear power plant virtual field trip that includes visiting four websites and watching a short video taken inside a nuclear power plant. It was the only such catastrophe since the advent of nuclear power 55 years ago.
What is the source of energy of nuclear power plants. According to references 31 and 34, there were 434 operating nuclear plants producing 17% 350,000. A nuclear power plant contains a nuclear reactor, which generates electricity by controlled fission reactions. Identify and label each of the major parts of the power plant. Nuclear power plant is the only source which can meet the increasing demand of electricity at a reasonable cost. Many nuclear power plants are dependent upon the fission of enriched u235. The worlds first nuclear reactors operated naturally in a uranium. However, radioactive waste is hazardous to living things. The element now used as fuel in most nuclear power plants is. The fission process and heat production nuclear reactor. Describe the different visual documents without giving any technical details pwrs. How many coal power plants would we have to replace with nuclear power plants to equal one wedge in the wedge game. Nuclear energy reading california academy of sciences. We show that the origin of societys interest in nuclear energy lies in the fact that much more energy is released per unit mass of a nuclear fuel than per unit mass of a fossil fuel.
Nuclear energy worksheet exploring fission and fusion. A nuclear power plant nuclear power station looks like a standard thermal power station with one exception. As they turn round, these turbines generate electricity. Students can use the attached worksheet or a longer online version available on the american nuclear.
Students explore electricity generated in nuclear power plants. It has led to the development of nuclear weapons see chapter. Each person in the class must read and summarize a different article. They conclude with a class discussion to share their findings and reflections. Most of the suns energy is produced from fusion reactions, while nuclear power plants use. Nuclear energy enrich your study of energy with this physics printable. Nuclear power plants cannot explode like a nuclear bomb but they can explode like a chemical tnt bomb. Boric acid is used in nuclear power plants as a longterm compensator of nuclear fuel reactivity. At a recent town meeting, it was proposed that the town build a nuclear power plant.
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