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The nuclear fission process produces a range of lighter elements as fission products, and many of these are radioactive.
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Radioactive decay do not involve electrons?
Radioactive decay may or may not involve electrons. There are different types of radioactive decay.
When an isotope is blank it does not undergo radioactive decay?
when an isotope is it does not undergo radioactive decay
Why is uranium not a fuel like the fossil fuels?
Uranium is a fuel. It is not like a fossil fuel in that it is not consumed by burning (rapid oxidation) to produce heat.Uranium is consumed by its radioactive decay. This process releases heat which is used, just like a fossil fuel, to make steam to run power plants. It is consumed much more slowly than is fossil fuels, and it does not release carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and other gases to the atmosphere when it is consumed. It does create an ash, the spent fuel. Spent uranium fuel does not fly into the air the way fossil fuel ash might if not controlled, but it does have to be disposed of. - Since spent uranium fuel is radioactive, making disposal more difficult.
What is the best definition of radioactive decay?
Radioactive decay is the spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus into smaller parts.
What are the properties of radioactive decay?
Radioactive decay has the following properties: 1. No element can completely decay. 2. The number of atoms decaying in a particular period is proportional to the number of atoms present in the beginning of that period. 3. Estimate of radioactive decay can be made by half life and decay constant of a radioactive element.
Why do spent nuclear fuels generate heat?
After the nuclear fuel is spent the fuel is radioactive. This radiation causes decay heat. The result of the radiation causes movement of atoms, converting it into thermal energy.
What is the source of heat in the Earth's interior?
The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.
What is the source of heat in the Earth interior?
The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.The decay of radioactive isotopes.
Radioactive decay do not involve electrons?
Radioactive decay may or may not involve electrons. There are different types of radioactive decay.
What is bad about nuclear waste?
It is highly radioactive (that is the waste contained in the spent fuel)
When radioactive isotopes break down into other elements the process is called?
radioactive decay
How is the radioactive decay of Krypton different from the radioactive decay of Americium?
The radioactive decay of americium 241 is by alpha disintegration; the disintegration of radioactive krypton isotopes is by beta particles emission.
What are radioactive waste disposal methods?
the methods of radioactive waste disposal varies by the waste form (solid, liquid. gaseous) and the radioactivity level (low, intermediate, high). Primarily; three methods are applied:delay and decay: to maintain waste in tanks for some periods of time to allow decay of radioactivity and then to be disposed of to environment.dilute and disperse: to dispose to environment (through dilution and dispersion, incineration) as ocean, sea, atmosphere, etc.contain and concentrate: This is used mainly for high level radioactive waste as spent fuel or the spent fuel reprocessing products; either in wet storage, dry storage, or vitrifies waste
When an isotope is blank it does not undergo radioactive decay?
when an isotope is it does not undergo radioactive decay
Why is fuel when it is removed from the reactor left to cool before being handled further?
They call it "cooling" but it is not thermal cooling it is radiological "cooling" by decay of highly radioactive short half life isotopes. This reduces the radioactivity of the spent fuel and makes it easier to handle and process.
Why is uranium not a fuel like the fossil fuels?
Uranium is a fuel. It is not like a fossil fuel in that it is not consumed by burning (rapid oxidation) to produce heat.Uranium is consumed by its radioactive decay. This process releases heat which is used, just like a fossil fuel, to make steam to run power plants. It is consumed much more slowly than is fossil fuels, and it does not release carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and other gases to the atmosphere when it is consumed. It does create an ash, the spent fuel. Spent uranium fuel does not fly into the air the way fossil fuel ash might if not controlled, but it does have to be disposed of. - Since spent uranium fuel is radioactive, making disposal more difficult.
What causes a nuclear reactor that is used for power supply to continually produce toxic waste?
It's all about the nuclear fission byproducts. When fission occurs, a couple of neutrons are produced. But what happened to the rest of the uranium atom? The bulk of its mass remains as fission fragments. The fission fragments are radioactive byproducts of the event, and they in turn have to decay (radioactively) into something that is stable. This can take several transitions, and the decay rates vary from fractions of a second to millions of years. Spent fuel is highly radioactive ("hot"), and it has a variety of long-lived radionuclides in it. Nuclear fuel is seal up (welded inside) cladding to "keep it in one place" when fuel plates or fuel rods are produced. The spent fuel has all this highly radioactive and nasty-as-heck stuff inside the fuel plates or fuel rods. The radioactive byproducts are radioactive (and highly so!) for a long, long, long time. Aside from the possibility of radioactive contamination that might occur in a nuclear accident, the long-term storage of spent fuel is a major headache. The length of time it will take for the stuff to "cool off" radioactively, once the (fairly simple) physics of radioactive decay is comprehended, will leave the understanding person ill. Use the link to the Wikipedia article on long-lived fission products and skim it. Note what is produced and the half-lives of the stuff. It's disconcerting.
