0
How easy is it to convert nuclear energy into a usable type of energy?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Uranium minerals are not so rare; also uranium exist in sea water, soils, granite. But very large ore deposits are only in some countries. Uranium is discovered generally by radiometric prospecting.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoIt depends on what you mean by easy. It's theoretically straightforward but requires a great deal of careful technology and engineering.
The basic idea is to use the particles thrown off by nuclear fission or radioactive substances to generate heat which can be further transformed to make electricity.
A fission reactor requires lots of safety oriented technology and involved engineering in order to keep the fission process going (i.e., maintaining a critical chain reaction). This was not an easy problem to solve, but it has been done and is available. The actual reactor is very expensive to build, too, but the costs can be amortized over 40-50 years and makes the cost of electricity from this affordable. In the fission power plant, the fission products cause the fuel to get hot. Water is passed over the enclosed fuel rods and gets hot (>400 F). This water is used to make hot steam. The steam is used to turn turbines connected to generators which change the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
There are thermoelectric converters which can produce electrical energy from substances (solid or liquid) which have been heated to high temperatures. Radioactive substances, giving off beta, alpha, and gamma particles can heat these substances. This is how some satellites are powered. A typical radioactive source for this conversion is plutonium 238. Other nuclides like americium 241 and strontium 90 can be used. See the Wikipedia article on "radioisotope thermoelectric generator".
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoDepends which country you live in. In the US there are 104 operating reactors, in Australia only one small one used for radioisotope production.
See link for the US situation
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoYes, it is easy using radiometric methods (gamma spectrometry), geochemical methods, hydrogeochemical methods and geological prospection.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoIt is done in many places on Earth, in nuclear reactors - but it isn't exactly easy.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is nuclear energy easy to access and why?
No.
Why was Nuclear Power Invented?
To have a clean, easy, and cheap way to generate energy.
Is it always easy to collect wasted energy and use it?
Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.
Unlike other forms of energy thermal energy is not easy to what?
Thermal energy is the most difficult to convert into other forms of energy.
Who uses nuclear energy the most and why?
France, nearly 80% of their electricity is derived from nuclear power plants. They use cookie-cutter power plants that are easy to construct and easy to use.
Is nuclear energy easy to access and why?
No.
Why is electricity such a use ful form of energy?
Electricity is easy to transport over great distances; and it is easy to convert into other forms of energy.Electricity is easy to transport over great distances; and it is easy to convert into other forms of energy.Electricity is easy to transport over great distances; and it is easy to convert into other forms of energy.Electricity is easy to transport over great distances; and it is easy to convert into other forms of energy.
Why is energy electrical?
Electrical energy is useful because it is fairly easy to convert mechanical energy (from turbines, for example) into electrical energy, it is fairly easy to transport electricity over long distances, and it is fairly easy to convert the electrical energy (for example, in your home) into several other types of energy.
Why is electric energy so usefull?
Basically, it's easy to transport, and easy to convert to other types of energy.
How is nuclear energy easily used?
What is traditionally called "nuclear energy" is certainly NOT easy to use - it requires some pretty advanced technology. However, when we let the Sun warm us, we are using the Sun's nuclear energy.
Why was Nuclear Power Invented?
To have a clean, easy, and cheap way to generate energy.
Is it always easy to collect wasted energy and use it?
Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.Once the energy is wasted, you can't convert it back to useful energy.
What Unlike other forms of energy thermal energy is not easy to?
Thermal energy is the most difficult to convert into other forms of energy.
Who uses nuclear energy the most and why?
France, nearly 80% of their electricity is derived from nuclear power plants. They use cookie-cutter power plants that are easy to construct and easy to use.
Unlike other forms of energy thermal energy is not easy to what?
Thermal energy is the most difficult to convert into other forms of energy.
Why is electrical energy is useful?
electricity can be useful in alot of things. You will not imagine how much you use electricity throughout the day. You mostly use it for light. right now you are using electricity while you are reading this. You use it when your watching TV, or playing video games, or using an air conditioning machine. that is how electricity is useful.
Why use coal as a energy?
Coal is abundant and easy to harvest from the earth to produce electricity relative to nuclear energy. Solar energy is abundant but difficult to harvest compared to coal.
