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Nuclear energy is a type of energy that is obtained thanks to nuclear fission or nuclear fusion and that for its operation needs uranium, making this a non-renewable resource, due to the speed with which it is being extracted. In addition, it is an energy with double standards, since when it is produced it does not emit greenhouse gases, but it does produce large amounts of toxic waste.
If you want to know what is nuclear energy and how does it work Exactly, continue reading this interesting Green Ecologist article which will also explain what nuclear energy is and what it is for, among many more details.
What is nuclear energy and what is it used for?
Nuclear energy is that which is released when there is a nuclear reaction (nuclear fission or nuclear fusion), this means, that which occurs in the nucleus of an atom being able to happen artificially or spontaneously.
If you wonder what is nuclear energy forKeep in mind that this type of energy is very present in our life since it is used to produce thermal, electrical and mechanical energy. In addition, it also has other uses in medicine, in agriculture for pest control, in the manufacture of weapons, in archeology, among other uses. If you want to see these and more Examples of uses of nuclear energy, here we offer you a summary.
Types of nuclear energy
Within nuclear power, could you say how many types of nuclear energy are there? Depending on the way it is produced, there are two types:
- Nuclear fision: This is used to obtain atomic energy and consists of the rupture of an atomic nucleus to acquire other smaller ones. It is the most used since so far it is the one that has been best managed.
- Nuclear fusion: This process consists of the union of two or more atomic nuclei to produce energy, although nowadays this option is not viable.
How nuclear energy works
Let's start by clarifying what is the raw material of nuclear energy. This is obtained by fission of uranium isotopes, specifically the U-235. This chemical element is the only one capable of causing the nuclear fission reaction, which can produce highly radioactive and polluting waste such as plutonium.
Now you know where it comes from, but it remains to be clarified how is nuclear energy obtained to know how it works or what is the process that is followed to obtain thermal, electrical and mechanical energy from it. From the uranium U-235 from which this energy is obtained, the process to achieve nuclear fission is as follows:
- In the nuclear fission process, which is practically based on a collision, a neutron is fired to strike the nucleus of the uranium atom.
- This will fragment into two or more elements with a lower atomic weight.
- As a consequence, there is a massive release of energy, in addition to the generation of new neutrons, thus initiating a chain reaction of neutrons that will continue to hit other atoms so that they divide into smaller ones.
Nuclear energy is produced in nuclear power plants and the most common are those that work through pressurized water reactors.
Is nuclear energy renewable?
Nuclear energy falls within the non-renewable energies since it is obtained thanks to uranium, specifically U-235. But why is it not renewable? It is not renewable because uranium is a chemical compound that is extracted from nature and, although there are large reserves such as the one that can be found under sea water, it is not economically profitable to exploit them. So, you can only have those reserves present on the earth's surface, these are being exploited at a rate greater than their regeneration, therefore this means that uranium is not a renewable element and consequently nuclear energy is not either. .
Here we tell you much more about the question: Is nuclear energy renewable?
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy
Finally, the following are the main advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy. We start with the advantages of nuclear energy:
- Among the characteristics of nuclear energy that we can see as an advantage, we find that it is an energy considered as clean with respect to the emission of polluting gases, since no gases are emitted into the atmosphere to generate it.
- Producing nuclear energy has a very economic cost, being able to reduce energy costs.
- A nuclear power plant in general does not interrupt the production of its energy, practically the operation of these is constant, so large amounts of energy can be produced.
Nuclear energy not only has advantages, which could well contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it has some disadvantages that unfortunately outweigh the advantages. The disadvantages of nuclear power are:
- Nuclear power plants generate very dangerous waste that takes thousands of years to decompose, as well as being highly polluting. Waste from a nuclear power plant can be deadly.
- Nuclear energy is part of non-renewable energy.
- When a nuclear power plant suffers an accident, the consequences they have for the environment are very serious, lasting these over time; they are also a danger to people's health. Surely you know the Chernobyl or Fukushima accidents, and the consequences they had for both the population and the environment.
The disadvantages are not many, but they are too serious, therefore nuclear energy should be replaced by other types of energy that are safer for the population and the environment. If you want to discover more about it, we recommend that you also read these other specific Green Ecologist articles on the Advantages and Disadvantages of nuclear energy and How nuclear energy affects the environment and human beings. Also, below you can see a video summary of its advantages and disadvantages.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is nuclear energy and how does it work, we recommend that you enter our category of non-renewable energies.
