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Why would a fusion reactor produce less radioactive waste than a fission reactor?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
In my understanding, this is because a fusion reactor reacts deuterium to produce helium, which is not radioactive, whereas a fission uses uranium or plutonium, for example, which may react to form various radioactive isotopes.
A fusion reactor may contain small quantities of tritium, in which case a radioactive isotope of hydrogen may be produced, but given that the majority of reactions occurring involve solely the deuterium, there is less radioactive waste produced.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Was the Chernobyl meltdown from fusion or fission?
The reactor(s) at Chernobyl are fission reactors, and fission of fuel and fission products following the fire and the overheating of the core melted it down.
Why do hydrogen bombs produce radioactive waste?
Although the name suggests that the bomb solely uses nuclear fusion to create mass destruction, a Hydrogen bomb actually contains both fission and fusion fuels. Since fusion requires such a high energy input to initiate, a fission bomb is required to detonate the fusion component of the Hydrogen bomb, thereby releasing nuclear waste and radiation.
Does fusion create large amounts of radioactive waste?
True. If fusion can be made to work in manmade equipment, for power production, (and this is not certain), there should be much less radioactive waste than for fission reactors. The product of the fusion, helium, is harmless. The engineering details of such a plant have not been established, but the energy produced will presumably be extracted from materials surrounding the reaction chamber which absorb the neutrons produced, so these materials will become irradiated and radioactive. Whether the structure will remain for the life of the plant or perhaps neutron absorbing materials have to be replenished from time to time is unknown, but obviously there will be some radioactive waste to be dealt with.
The difference between nuclear waste and nuclear weapons?
The exact contents of radioactive waste from a nuclear power plant and radioactive fallout from a nuclear weapon can vary widely but are likely to be similar in their primary isotopes.The major difference between the radioactive waste from a nuclear power plant and radioactive fallout from a nuclear weapon is that the waste is normally contained and will not enter the environment (unless an accident happens) while the fallout is dispersed into the environment and is carried by the wind (sometimes all the way around the world multiple times).
Good and bad effect of nuclear fission and fusion?
fission crest radio active wastes wich are harmeful to life. they create tumors and we are running out of space to store the waste. fission crest radio active wastes wich are harmeful to life. they create tumors and we are running out of space to store the waste.
What are the main advantage of a fusion reactor compared to a fission reactor?
Fusion reactors produce energy by fusing atoms together, similar to the process that powers the sun, whereas fission reactors split atoms. Fusion reactions in reactors have the potential for abundant fuel supply with deuterium and lithium, low radioactive waste, and enhanced safety due to the inherent characteristics of the fusion process. Additionally, fusion reactions do not generate long-lasting radioactive waste like fission reactions, making them potentially more sustainable in the long term.
How a fusion reactor would be similar to a fission reactor?
explain how a fusion reactor would be similar to a fission reaction
Is fusion controllable as fission is reactor?
no
What advantages would a fusion reactor have over the fission reactors currently being operated?
Plenty of cheap fuel, and no radioactive waste.
What are some advantages to using a fusion reactor to produce electricity?
Some advantages of using a fusion reactor to produce electricity are the abundance of fuel sources like hydrogen isotopes, minimal greenhouse gas emissions, high energy output, and inherently safe operation with no risk of runaway reactions.
The two processes which produce nuclear changes are?
The two processes that produce nuclear changes are nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion involves combining two atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, while nuclear fission involves splitting a heavy nucleus into smaller ones. Both processes release a large amount of energy.
What are the advantages of a fusion reactor compared to a fission reactor?
Fusion reactors produce energy by merging atomic nuclei, which is cleaner and safer than splitting them in fission reactors. Fusion does not create long-lived nuclear waste and poses lower risks of catastrophic accidents. Additionally, fusion fuel is more abundant and widely available than fission fuel sources.
What are the two type of reactors?
There are fission and fusion reactors. However, at present (2016) there is no commercial fusion reactor which can produce more energy than is required to operate it.
What is better solar energy fission reactor or fusion reactor?
solar is a billion times better.
What are the three main advantages of a fusion reactor compared to a fission reactor?
Fusion reactors produce less radioactive waste compared to fission reactors. Fusion reactors use abundant sources such as deuterium and lithium for fuel, while fission reactors use limited sources like uranium. Fusion reactions release more energy per unit mass of fuel compared to fission reactions.
If a fusion reaction produces no appreciable radioactive isotopes then why does a hydrogen bomb produce significant radioactive fallout?
A hydrogen bomb is actually a fission-fusion-fission reaction. The primary fission trigger (plutonium) supplies the energy to induce fusion, but then the fusion energy is used to initiate the secondary fission, which is a large amount of uranium. (in a "clean" H bomb, the uranium is replaced with lead, making it much weaker) also, the radiation will affect the surrounding area, creating a large number of isotopes, dramatically increasing the radioactive fallout.-Akilae
Does fusion produce radioactive waste?
No. The products of nuclear fusion are not radioactive.
