What is Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear energy is a way of creating heat through the fission process of atoms. All power plants convert heat into electricity using steam. At nuclear power plants, the heat to make the steam is created when atoms split apart the process of called fission. (Other types of power plants burn coal or oil for heat to make steam.)

In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts (lighter nuclei), often producing free neutrons and photons (in the form of gamma rays), as well. Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments (heating the bulk material where fission takes place). Nuclear fission produces energy for nuclear power. It is made possible because certain substances called nuclear fuels undergo fission when struck by free neutrons and in turn generate neutrons when they break apart. This makes possible a self-sustaining chain reaction that releases energy at a controlled rate in a nuclear reactor or at a very rapid uncontrolled rate in a nuclear weapon.

The amount of free energy contained in nuclear fuel is millions of times the amount of free energy contained in a similar mass of chemical fuel such as gasoline, making nuclear fission a very tempting source of energy. The products of nuclear fission, however, are on average far more radioactive than the heavy elements which are normally fissioned as fuel. The heat from fission boils water and creates steam to turn a turbine. As the turbine spins, the generator turns and its magnetic field produce electricity. The electricity can then be carried to your home, so you can work on the computer, watch television, play video games, or make toast!

Hence, it is our greatest responsibility to beef up your knowledge on the rising and green Nuclear Technology. Going green by building nuclear power plants in our country has paramount of benefits to our country economically and it will also a significant effort to reduce global warming which is increasing at an alarming rate.