Chapter 23. Chapter 23: Nuclear Power
What are radioactive isotopes and why are they important for nuclear power?
Guiding Question 23.1
What are radioactive isotopes, and why are they important for nuclear power?
Why You Should Care
All nuclear reactors are built on the principle of speeding up the natural decay of radioactive elements. Radioactivity simply means that the element is made up of a number of protons and neutrons that cannot co-exist. To be radioactive, an element must decay and expel some of the neutrons and protons to reach a different ratio of protons to neutrons. We harvest the energy lost from this decay.
For example, uranium has several radioactive isotopes, each with a different number of neutrons. The more neutrons in the isotope, the more unstable the isotope and the shorter a half-life it will have. We prefer to refine and use the isotopes that have the best combination of half-life and energy release—this is why we use uranium as our nuclear fuel source.
Question Test Your Vocabulary
Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| JXUFouY4CYgnT0/aSAzI0nh65iY/R3O4mUJ/kwP7MOCn+I2etF2ew6yIWgFS1ImF | Nuclear reaction that occurs when a neutron strikes the nucleus of an atom and breaks it into two or more parts. |
| QG8T/VctxykjvO0gTt28DKjm60oM1oryyFS7LJdjCTvOIONAbcRMiK4JIgUWgybT | Atoms that have different numbers of neutrons in their nucleus but the same number of protons. |
| v/zOv1Gb4dRolmbsjDPnn4fRlRfwHX4sEPSTtheJIx+XAUYIo7oBIde+v1gje2Gn | Energy released when an atom is split (fission) or combines with another to form a new atom (fusion); can be tapped to generate electricity. |