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Do fossil fuels have a higher or lower energy content than a similar mass of nuclear fuel?
Total energy as expressed in Einsteins equation E=mc2 reveals that they are identical because the masses are identical and c is a constant. With present technology you can extract more energy from a given mass of nuclear fuels (in a nuclear reactor) than the same mass of fossil fuel in a thermoelectric generating plant.
Why does uranium metal not explode in a nuclear reaction?
Uranium metal (enriched in uranium-235 up to 99 %) is a nuclear explosive, if the critical mass is reached. Also criticality accidents are possible in uranium plants or uranium storage areas.
What are the advantages and disadvantages for using plutonium in generate electricity?
Applications of plutonium: * nuclear fuel in nuclear power reactors; can contribute to use uranium-238 which is fertile.Disadvantages of plutonium:- plutonium is radioactive - plutonium is toxic - plutonium is flammable - in some conditions (of mass and geometric form) plutonium can reach the critical mass
In a nuclear reaction WHAT does not have to be conserved?
While overall ENERGY has to be conserved, MASS does not. In a nuclear reaction mass can be converted into energy so the mass of the products may be less than the mass of the reactants. The difference in mass is converted into energy as Einstein's equation describes (E=MC squared). In a chemical reaction MASS has to be conserved.
What term describes the tiny difference in mass between the products and reactants of a nuclear change?
mass defect
Do nuclear reactors have critical mass?
We know that critical mass can be achieved in a nuclear reactor. If it could not, we'd not be able to get a chain reaction and generate heat to generate power. Reactors don't have critical mass when the control rods are in, but pull the rods, start the reactor up and away you go!
Minimum mass of material requied for the nuclear chain reaction to occur in a nuclear bomb is called?
The critical mass
If you have a critical mass of a radioactive material what can occur?
In a critical mass, the material involved starts to undergo fission because of the presence of a dense neutron flux. The fission produces neutrons, which add to the neutron flux. This causes a great release of heat. Reaching critical mass does not imply a powerful nuclear explosion. A powerful nuclear explosion develops when critical mass is attained for a long enough time for the majority of the nuclear material to get involved. This is a very tricky thing to do and does not happen accidentally. What can happen accidentally is a nuclear "pop," a sort of small explosion which throws the material apart, destroying the critical mass, and possibly producing a lot of pollution. (This was not what happened at Chernobyl, which was steam and chemical.)
What are the similarities between nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs?
Both have critical mass, and create energy from a fission chain reaction. In nuclear bombs, the chain reaction is uncontained and spreads to all the fissionable material nearly instantaneously.
Do fossil fuels have a higher or lower energy content than a similar mass of nuclear fuel?
Total energy as expressed in Einsteins equation E=mc2 reveals that they are identical because the masses are identical and c is a constant. With present technology you can extract more energy from a given mass of nuclear fuels (in a nuclear reactor) than the same mass of fossil fuel in a thermoelectric generating plant.
What are in nuclear bombs?
Enough of either U235 or PU239 to form a critical mass and hence a large explosion
How does nuclear fission end?
It ends by losing the critical mass or by introducing high neutron capturing material.
Which of the following are differences between nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs?
-both have critical mass -both use chain reactions A P E X renaa
Critical mass is the of material required to produce a chain reaction?
minimum amount
Why is a conventional nuclear reactor not able to explode as a bomb?
Conventional nuclear power plants use critical mass in a way that is similar to how a fission bomb uses it, in a chain reaction. There are some very important differences, however. In a nuclear power plant, the reaction is controlled by a set of systems that moderate the amount and speed of neutrons, the temperature of the fuel, and so on. These prevent the reactor from getting too hot and melting down. This is not easy, but also not terribly hard. In the bomb, there is no provision for ongoing control of the chain reaction. Instead, there is a design that causes the critical mass to undergo the chain reaction while staying at critical mass for the process. This is really hard to do because as soon as the whole heats up a bit, it wants to fly apart, destroying the integrity of the critical mass. The design problems associated with maintaining critical mass were difficult enough that they were secret for a long time. In other words, in order for a critical mass to blow up as a bomb, it really has to be designed to be a bomb. And though a nuclear reactor can melt down and be very destructive in the process, and though the waste storage can be breached and be very destructive as a result, the nuclear explosion of a nuclear reactor is quite likely impossible. Explosions and meltdowns have happened, but the explosions are from steam or chemicals, rather than nuclear critical mass.
What is meant by supercritical and how does it relate to making a nuclear bomb?
A subcritical mass cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction, it dies exponentiallyA critical mass can sustain a nuclear chain reaction, but it remains constant neither increasing nor decreasingA supercritical mass not only sustains a nuclear chain reaction but it increases exponentially until the mass explodesA nuclear fission bomb must become supercritical at some time in order to explode.
Why are lower-mass stars unable to ignite more massive nuclear fuels such as carbon?
Low-mass stars have little gravitational energy, so when they contract, they don't get very hot.
