Nov 3, 1997: In Today's Register Guard on the front page there was an article about how Nuclear Energy should now be considered as Green energy because it does not contribute to global warming.

The issue is, how viable is Nuclear energy and what really are the risks.

As we will see, nuclear energy is seldom evaluated objectively - rather there is a range of emotional response to it.

Nuclear Energy I.

Basic Physics

• Energy and Mass are equivalent and are related to one another by the speed of light squared

  

• Since c is a large number then c squared is even larger

• Example:

1 kg of coal = 30 million Joules when burned using chemistry
but: 1 kg of coal potentially gives you 3 billion times more energy if you convert all of its mass to energy

Potential Realized in the Atom Bomb

1950's optimism:

The 1950's are a landmark decade because they shaped 3 aspects of American life that would dominate out socio-political culture:

• The first information network was launched. This was Television which has evolved to be a ubiquitous access, content-free medium. (will the Internet evolve in a similar manner?)

• Suburbia: Suburban infrastructure and commuter highways began to take shape. Life in Suburbia was the American Dream. Increased dependends on foreign oil, via automobile transport of workers and increased air pollution is the result.

• The Cold War: Funding for basic research for technological competiveness against the Evil Empire was abundant. Most research Universities were allowed to significantly expand their science departments. Now, this has all crumbled as has funding for basic research

Elvis ,Hula Hoops and free electricity from nuclear power:
Arco Idaho in 1947 became the first place in the US to be powered by a nuclear reactor.

1970's: By the year 2000, 50% of US energy comes from fossil fuels and 50% from nuclear fission

Initial Trends in 60's suggested this would be fulfilled
Very rapid rise from 1964--1974 then much shallower increase to 1990

1990: 22% of domestic US electricity generation comes from nuclear fission--> France is at 75% and exports some!

What prevented the year 2000 goal from being reached? Several factors are at work:

• poor engineering, politics, pyschology, Three Mile Island
• Perceived Safety Hazard has replaced Reality --> Trojan Closure
• Up Front Costs became very high (WPPS!)
• Concern over Atomic Waste Disposal --> Hanford
• Concern over Environmental Pollution --> Hanford Downwinders

Atomic Structure

• Electrons in Fuzzy Orbits about a Nucleus
• Nucleus is home of protons and neutrons bound together by the Strong Force: ratio of strong force to gravity is 10³⁶ !
• Free Neutrons decays into protons and electrons; Existence of atomic nuclei prevent this decay

Each element is defined by a unique number of protons an ISOTOPE means that element has extra neutrons. Some extra neutrons can decay into protons thus creating a new element . This example is for a Supernova but the main idea is the same.

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