Chernobyl Disaster

In Ukrain during 1986 the city of Chernobyl was devistated by a huge nuclear melt down. It was caused by inexperienced employs operating a nuclear reactor.This caused the reactor to release radiation from its core, the night of the accident two of the workers died instantly. After two weeks have passed a total of 28 people have died from the radiation poisoning, and they had to evacuate the entire city after this. But it did not stop there 19 more people died after they left the city due to the radiation already being in their body. Even to this day the city is still highly radioactive and will kill anything that tries to live there. Source http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident/

Nuclear Bomb Reactions

Now a nuclear power plant cant just up and explode killing thousands. They are much different than what goes into the process of the Nuclear Bomb. The way the bombs work is they take a large piece of uranium or plutonium and use fission to turn them into small fragments, that causes the reaction of the huge explosion. But the bombs are very compact so when the neutrons fly around they do not have to go far to hit another fissionable atom. So a nuclear power plant is way to big for all of those reactions to take place. source http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html

Nuclear Waste

After the fuel in the nuclear reactor has been there for about 18 months much of the uranium has left it, and much of the fission built up in the solution. Then the reactor is refueled by putting back in 1/3 of the fuel rods. Fuel rods are a great build up of highly radioactive waste left over from the nuclear reactor. The rods are then placed in huge pools and left to cool down, the longer they rest the highly reactive isotopes die and the rods become cool. After the rods are processed to remove and plutonium or uranium that still remains. This process take about two months, but most of the buyers of nuclear energy are coming up with faster ways to refuel. For example in Louisiana the operator of American nuclear power plants has brought the time down to 17 days. But at the end there is still waste left over, which the US sotres in Nevada. source http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html

What is Nuclear Energy used for

Nuclear Energy in all countries around the world is used mainly for energy, but because it is so hard to create and stabilize it is uncommon. For example France is run 80 percent by Nuclear Energy which is a good thing because it destroys the need for natural gas. Also unlike the other forms of energy, Nuclear energy gives of no co2 or any pollution into the atmosphere. Also through out the world there are many nuclear powered boats, the United States Navy has the most of them out of the world when it comes to aircraft carriers. But when it comes to vessels of war the Russians have all off them because the U.S stopped all the use of Nuclear Powered vessels.

How is Nuclear Energy Harnessed

When the Nucleus undergoes fission and fusion it gives of lots of heat. Due to most of the elements being unstable the experiments must direct their heat into water. After they mix the radiated water with clean water, this process gives of steam. They then use the steam to run turbines or wheels that then power generators and engines, and they finally use the engines to create electricity that can be used as perfectly sustainable energy.

How is Nuclear Energy made

Nuclear energy is created when a nuclear reaction takes place. This happens through the process of nuclear fission, which is the splitting of the nuclei of atom, and nuclear fusion, which is the joining of the nuclei of two atoms. Nuclear fission is the kind of process that is used for electricity and generators run by nuclear energy, and just a fun fact nuclear electricity provides 6 percent of the worlds energy. However nuclear fusion is used for things different than electricity for example nuclear fusion is used to create hydrogen bombs.

looking back on the year

This year has been a great run for me. It is the first time i have ever done any type of art class outside of the mandatory middle school ones. I loved every project we did so far, but my favorite was the bowl making, i was very proud with my bowls. that was a really neat experience to make something by hand, paint it and then wait patiently until it came out of the kiln. Also the metal working was another very fun project and when we had to scorch the metal to finish the piece was very entertaining. This has been a great year and i cant wait to come back for more.