Nuclear Energy

Jefree Lares
What is it?
Everything around you is made up of tiny objects called atoms. Most of the mass of each
atom is concentrated in the center (which is called the nucleus), and the rest of the mass is
in the cloud of electrons surrounding the nucleus. Protons and neutrons are subatomic
particles that comprise the nucleus.
Under certain circumstances, the nucleus of a very large atom can split in two. In this
process, a certain amount of the large atoms mass is converted to pure energy following
Einsteins famous formula E = MC2, where M is the small amount of mass and C is the speed
of light (a very large number). In the 1930s and 40s, humans discovered this energy and
recognized its potential as a weapon. Technology developed in the Manhattan Project
successfully used this energy in a chain reaction to create nuclear bombs. Soon after World
War II ended, the newfound energy source found a home in the propulsion of the nuclear
navy, providing submarines with engines that could run for over a year without refueling.
This technology was quickly transferred to the public sector, where commercial power plants
were developed and deployed to produce electricity.
 History of Nuclear Energy
No scientific progress ever really starts. Rather, it builds on the work of countless other
discoveries. Since we have to start somewhere, this story will start in Germany, in 1895,
where a fellow named Roentgen was experimenting with cathode rays in a glass tube that he
had sucked the air out of. At one point, he had the device covered but noticed that the
photographic plates off to the side were lighting up when the device was energized. He
realized that he was looking at a new kind of ray, and called it what any reasonable physicist
would call an unknown: the X-ray. He systematically studied these rays and took the first x-ray
photo of his wifes hand two weeks later, thereby becoming the father of modern medical
diagnostics.
Soon after in France, in 1896, a guy named Becquerel noticed that if he left uranium salts
sitting on photographic plates, they would expose even though no cathode ray tube was
energized. The energy must have been coming from inside the salts themselves. Marie Curie
and her husband Pierre studied the phenomenon and isolated two new elements that
exhibited this spontaneous energy production: Polonium and Radium. They named the
phenomenon "radioactivity".
In England, Ernest Rutherford starts studying radioactivity and discovers that there are two
types of rays that come out that are different from x-rays. He calls them alpha- and beta-
radiation. He later discovers the shocking fact that the vast majority of the mass of atoms is
concentrated in their centers, and thus discovers the atomic nucleus. He is widely regarded
Where is it found?
Is it Non-Renewable or Renewable?
The material most often used in nuclear power plants
is the element uranium. Although uranium is found in
rocks all over the world, nuclear power plants usually
use a very rare type of uranium, U-235. Uranium is a
non-renewable resource.Nuclear energy is a popular
way of generating electricity around the world.
Costs
Between 2002 and 2008, for example, cost estimates
for new nuclear plant construction rose from between
$2 billion and $4 billion per unit to $9 billion per unit,
according to a 2009 UCS report, while experience with
new construction in Europe has seen costs continue
to soar.
Advantages
Expense
Less uranium is needed to produce the same amount of energy as coal or oil, which lowers
the cost of producing the same amount of energy. Uranium is also less expensive to procure
and transport, which further lowers the cost.

Reliability
When a nuclear power plant is functioning properly, it can run uninterrupted for up to 540
days. This results in fewer brownouts or other power interruptions. The running of the plant
is also not contingent of weather or foreign suppliers, which makes it more stable than other
forms of energy.

No Greenhouse Gases
While nuclear energy does have some emissions, the plant itself does not give off
greenhouse gasses. Studies have shown that what life-cycle emissions that the plants do
give off are on par with renewable energy sources such as wind power. This lack of
greenhouse gases can be very attractive to some consumers.
Disadvantages
Raw Material
Uranium is used in the process of fission because it's a naturally
unstable element. This means that special precautions must be taken
during the mining, transporting and storing of the uranium, as well as
the storing of any waste product to prevent it from giving off harmful
levels of radiation.

Water Pollutant
Nuclear fission chambers are cooled by water. This water is then turned
into steam, which is used to power the turbines. When the water cools
enough to change back into liquid form, it is pumped outside into
nearby wetlands. While measures are taken to ensure that no radiation
is being pumped into the environment, other heavy metals and
pollutants can make their way out of the chamber. The immense heat
Example(s) of energy source usage in the United States
Is this energy source a solution to the United States energy crisis?

I feel as if nuclear energy is not a drawback but at the

same time i feel like it's not an advantage for the
united states heck the world for that matter to be
completely honest
SOURCES
https://nuclear-energy.net/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-nuclear-e
nergy.html
https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/nucenergy.html