Exam 22: Nuclear Power - the Future of Fukushima: Can Nuclear Energy Overcome Its Bad Rep

The heat released in a nuclear chain reaction is ___________________ times more than what is released by burning coal or oil and is used to turn turbines that generate electricity.

Infographic 22.2. -Refer to Infographic 22.2. Why is the progression of uranium-238 to the stable lead-206 such a concern?

Which of the following is emitted during radioactive decay?

Accidents in the construction industry occur at a rate almost _______________ the rate of those in the nuclear power industry.

A radioactive particle that has gone through 2 half-lives retains what percent of its parent material?

High cancer rates are observed in workers who mine U-235 because U-235 naturally decays into ________________.

What is the process of nuclear fission?

_____________________ is energy released when an atom is split or combines with another to form a new atom.

Spent fuel rods are one of the wastes associated with the production of nuclear energy. Spent fuel rods are classified as ________________.

What are some safety precautions used in the production of nuclear energy?

A chain reaction is created in a nuclear plant when U-235 in the fuel rods is bombarded with _______________, causing the nucleus to become unstable and split.

Infographic 22.6. -Refer to Infographic 22.6. Three types of radiation are given off by radioactive isotopes. Name each one, describe their penetration ability, and explain if and how they are hazardous to humans.

The world saw some of the hazards of radioactivity after the United States used a nuclear bomb in WWII. From this event, we saw an increase in all but which of the following?

________________ provides the cleanest source of energy.

Infographic 22.2. -Refer to Infographic 22.2. If the half-life of a certain radioactive isotope is 5 years and 100 atoms of parent material exist in the original sample, how many parent atoms will be present in the sample after 10 years?

Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of _____________ but a different number of ______________.

Infographic 22.2. -Refer to Infographic 22.2. Which of the following isotopes would be the safest to handle in the shortest period of time? (Radioactive isotopes are considered safe to handle after 10 half-lives.)

Explain why nuclear power plants require a vast amount of water.

Explain the process involved in producing energy in a fission reactor, starting with U-235 and ending with the production of electricity. Be sure to mention the words "fuel rods" and "control rods."

Infographic 22.5. -Refer to Infographic 22.5. The Fukushima plant was a boiling water reactor. Why did this make preventing an explosion in the plant after the earthquake and tsunami more difficult? Would it have been easier if it had been a pressurized water reactor?