Nuclear Energy

The Use of Nuclear Power

What is nuclear power and what is its use? Well, nuclear energy is power exerted from an atomic nucleus. It follows Einstein's theory of energy equals mass times the speed of light (e=mc²). However, the nuclear energy is released through fission or fusion. Fusion is putting two atomic nuclei together, and Fission is breaking them.

This is a Nuclear power plant, Condensed water vapor rises from the hyperboloid shaped cooling towers . The nuclear reactors are inside the cylindrical containment buildings .

A large unstable nucleus (blue) hits another nucleus (red), creating
radiation, one slightly big atom, and one small atom (green).

Key Terms:

Ballistic: pertaining to or caused by projectiles

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Two cities in Japan that were bombed with nukes in repercussion of the bombing of Pearl Harbor

Ground Zero: The site directly below, directly above, or at the point of detonation of a nuclear weapon.

Thermal Radiation: electromagnetic radiation emitted by all matter above a temperature of absolute zero

Nuke: A nuclear weapon

Air Shock: A wave of pressure expanding from the place where a bomb hit

EMP (electromagnetic pulse): a burst of electromagnetic energy produced by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere

Isotope: An element that has a different number of neutrons in its nucleus, but the same number of protons and electrons (atomic number)

Megawatt: A unit of power equal to one-million watts