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| Homer running away from the Springfield nuclear power plant |
As much as I dislike chemistry, I will admit that chemistry has some real-life application not only for scientists but also for ordinary citizens who want a better understanding of current issues, especially concerning nuclear power. I just finished my Physical Science 100 reading two minutes ago and now I’m looking at an article posted in the International Section of the NY Times forty-five minutes ago. It talks about how on Nov. 2 Japan reopened one of its nuclear power plants in Fukushima, but workers have already discovered radioactive particles caused by nuclear fission and are rushing to prevent a chain reaction. Sounds dangerous, but what does this mean in non-science language? Let me enlighten you!
There are interactions within atomic nuclei called “strong nuclear forces” that are short-range but can produce a huge amount of energy. This energy can be obtained through “fusion” or “fission.” Fusion is combining nuclei to form more massive nuclei and release a lot of energy. You can make fusion happen to atoms by heating them atoms to ridiculously high temperatures. Fusion is great because it does not produce radioactive byproducts. However, no one can figure out how to sustain fusion temperatures in a controlled way.
So nuclear power plants, like those in Japan, use fission. Fission is splitting very large atoms into smaller atoms and releasing a lot of energy. Sorry but here is where it gets science-ish. The energy needed to split the atoms comes from free neutrons (neutral particles in the nucleus) released from a previous fission. These neutrons are absorbed by a fuel atom, usually uranium. They destabilize uranium, causing it to break apart into more neutrons that will be absorbed by more uranium atoms. This sequence of fissions triggering more fissions is a “chain reaction.” Nuclear power plants use fission to produce energy by harnessing the energy, which is released as heat, and converting it into electricity. Fission is easy to control but not the ideal method for producing power because fuel elements like uranium are not abundant in nature and byproducts are radioactive.
Workers at Japan’s nuclear plant discovered unexpected bursts of fission that evidently occurred very recently, indicating that there is uncontrolled fission occurring within fuel deep inside the plant. While these bursts will not lead to a large-scale nuclear reaction and cause a lot of damage like the ones during the tsunami/earthquake did, they still increase the amount of radioactive waste leaking from the plant and add to the cleanup effort. So far workers have injected boric acid into the fuel, which soaks up the neutrons that trigger fission. Japan hopes to shut down its plants by the end of the year.
I’m not a fan of nuclear power plants. I think they produce a lot of dangerous waste and are a huge threat to the environment and to humans. Unfortunately I don’t have a solution, and neither does my Physical Science textbook. And with the human population now at 7 billion, I think it’s vital that some smart chemists devise a safer method for producing energy and that governments and citizens support their efforts.
photo: enewssubscriptions.com
I took Physical science 100 last semester. It seems like if they could just figure out how to use Fusion then there is no telling what could be done in the world. I enjoyed it.Thanks for the review and funny picture.
ReplyDeleteGreat review and picture. I do not like the idea of nuclear power plants as well. They are a drain on the economy and environment, and post severe threats in various arenas of living. I also hope we find an alternative soon.
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