Nuclear Energy

Building a fusion reactor is a complex engineering challenge that requires controlling extremely high temperatures and pressures. Research is ongoing, but the technology is not yet mature enough for practical implementation on a large scale. Additionally, funding and resources for fusion research have been limited compared to other energy sources.

Radioactive waste is actually the fumes that come off of uranium when we use it. It is placed deep in the earth's crust, so as not to harm humans. It lasts forever.

Update: u-238's half-life is 4.5 billion years. That means it takes 4.5 billion years for 1 lbs of u-238 to become .5 lbs and so on. But it never really goes away : ) hence "Matter cannot be created nor destroyed"-first law of thermodynamics

Two protons would be particle unstable, so one of them must change to a neutron.

This will always produce a deuteron, a positron and an (electron)neutrino and a gamma ray will be emitted.

This is true for the simple p-p chain which is predominant in the Sun, and also in the CNO cycle which is a minor component of the Sun's fusion but important for more massive stars.

As a star ages and runs out of fuel in its core, it can expand in size as it transitions into a red giant. During this phase, fusion reactions occur in the outer layers of the star, causing it to expand and cool. This expansion happens when the star exhausts its hydrogen fuel and begins fusing helium in its core.

Hydrogen is used in nuclear fission as a moderator to slow down neutrons produced during the fission process, making them more likely to interact with other fissile nuclei to sustain the chain reaction. Water containing hydrogen atoms, such as heavy water (deuterium oxide) or light water (H2O), is commonly used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.

Heat is produced by the recoil (kinetic energy) of the fission fragments, when they are stopped in the fuel material

Uranium could be used to fuel an automobile, in theory. Practicality, however, is another thing.

Ford once had a concept car called the Nucleon, which was designed to have a small nuclear reactor in the rear. The project was never pursued as safety and legal considerations prohibited it. Current laws would make such a thing impossible. Changing the laws is probably politically impossible.

In general, nuclear fission is the splitting of a single atomic nucleus. One atom with an unstable nucleus splits, either spontantously or perhaps because it has absorbed a neutron. Fission is a physics term applied to the action of the splitting of an atom, not the splitting or "separating" of two atoms.

To slow down the chain reaction in a nuclear reactor, you would insert the control rods. Control rods absorb neutrons and reduce the number available to sustain the chain reaction, thus slowing down the rate of fission reactions occurring in the reactor core.

The amount of fissionable material required to sustain a nuclear reaction at a constant rate is determined by the material's critical mass. The critical mass is the minimum amount of fissionable material needed to sustain a chain reaction, and it varies depending on the material and the reactor design. By controlling factors such as neutron moderation and absorption, reactor operators can adjust the critical mass to maintain a steady reaction rate.

Existing element is product of nuclear fusion, heavy element exist from over fusion and thus create high atomic mass substance. To answer what is the element that is form last in nuclear fusion in star is the same as asking what is the heaviest element occur or found in nature.

Base on what is in periodic table. The heaviest element found naturally is around Uranium - Plutonium thus it could be considered the last product known in nuclear fusion in star.

There are heavier element than Uranium and Plutonium but those are synthesize element. Nuclear fusion might go to element heavier than what is known in our periodic table but those substance may be unstable and decay over time until none of those exist.

If we are talking about nuclear fusion, this requires two nuclei to be brought into very close contact, and normally the electrostatic repulsion between two positively charged nuclei will prevent this. The two elements have to be raised to a very high temperature and squeezed together by a strong magnetic field. This can be done in a tokamak, and has been done, but only for less than 1 second so far. The ITER apparatus which has just started construction should produce a longer lasting reaction.

In the sun and other stars fusion is produced by the enormous gravitational compression at the star's core, which is not possible to reproduce in man made equipment. It would need a piece of apparatus bigger than the Earth!

Carbon dioxide is not a product of the fission of uranium. When uranium undergoes fission, it typically produces two or more fission fragments, such as krypton and barium isotopes, along with neutrons and a large amount of heat.

The first line of shielding is to limit the neutron bombardment of the pressure vessel, to give it a safe life of 40 or more years. Then you need to protect personnel who have to go into areas close to the reactor for maintenance, and also to limit the exposure of equipment which may need maintanance done during the life of the plant

Natural uranium consists of mainly U238 with about 0.7 percent U235, which is the fissile one, so enrichment is to raise the proportion of U235, which can be done by diffusion or by centrifuging, because of the slight difference in density, using uranium hexafluoride which is gaseous.

Boron and/or Cadmium control rods. They are inserted into the core to slow the reaction and withdrawn from the core to speed up the reaction. Both elements have a very high neutron capture crosssection, the more in the core the more excess neutrons they remove from the chain reaction.

Cs-137 undergoes beta decay to transform into Ba-137. In this process, a neutron within the Cs-137 nucleus is converted into a proton, a beta particle (electron) and an antineutrino are emitted, resulting in the formation of Ba-137.

Most nuclear power plants use enriched uranium as a nuclear fuel. Uranium-235 is the most commonly used isotope for nuclear fission reactions in nuclear power plants, where the uranium atoms split, releasing energy.

This describes a star, which forms when a sphere of gas collapses under its own gravity. As the star's core undergoes nuclear fusion, it produces energy that counteracts the force of gravity wanting to collapse the star further. This delicate balance between gravity and radiation pressure keeps the star stable and shining.

Yes, a breeder reactor uses uranium as a fuel. Specifically, it uses a specific isotope of uranium, such as uranium-235 or uranium-238, to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. The reactor can also produce more fissile material, like plutonium-239, through breeding reactions.

The process of joining two nuclei together to form a new element is called nuclear fusion. This occurs when the nuclei of two atoms are forced together, typically at very high temperatures and pressures, overcoming their electrostatic repulsion to merge and form a heavier nucleus. Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the sun and other stars.

Cooling water bathes the control rods and fuel bundles of a nuclear reactor to remove excess heat generated during fission. It helps regulate the temperature within the reactor core, preventing overheating and ensuring safe operation.

Yes, the tritium leak from the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) was considered dangerous because tritium is a radioactive isotope that can pose health risks if released into the environment. It can contaminate air, water, and soil, leading to potential health hazards for nearby communities.

Nuclear fusion is the process by which stars generate energy by fusing lighter elements into heavier ones. In the life cycle of a star, nuclear fusion occurs in the core and provides the energy necessary to counteract gravitational forces and maintain the star's equilibrium. As a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it may undergo different stages of fusion, eventually leading to its death.

This process is known as nuclear fission and is the basis for nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. The energy released during this process is harnessed to generate electricity in nuclear power plants. This reaction also produces additional neutrons that can sustain a chain reaction, leading to a continuous release of energy.