All Flashcards
What is nuclear fission?
Splitting an atom into smaller pieces, releasing energy.
What is nuclear fusion?
Combining smaller atoms into larger ones, releasing energy.
Define control rods.
Materials that absorb neutrons to control nuclear chain reactions.
What is radioactive waste?
Waste containing radioactive materials, dangerous for thousands of years.
What is Uranium-235?
A radioactive isotope of uranium used as fuel in nuclear reactors.
Define thermal pollution.
The degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.
Define nuclear fission.
Splitting an atom into smaller pieces, releasing energy.
Define nuclear fusion.
Combining smaller atoms into larger ones, releasing energy.
Define control rods.
Rods that absorb neutrons in a reactor to control the chain reaction.
What is Uranium-235?
A radioactive isotope of uranium used as fuel in nuclear reactors.
Define radioactive waste.
Waste products from nuclear reactors that emit harmful radiation.
What is a chain reaction?
A self-sustaining series of nuclear fissions caused by neutrons released in each fission.
Define thermal pollution.
The release of excess heat into bodies of water, often from power plants.
What is a nuclear reactor?
A device in which controlled nuclear chain reactions produce heat.
Define meltdown.
A severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating.
What is a turbine?
A rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow.
How can deep geological storage help manage radioactive waste?
Isolates waste in stable geological formations, preventing environmental contamination.