NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY PROJECT

THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

This assignment must be typed and will be graded. This assignment is due Thursday. Late assignments can not be accepted and will result in a grade of zero.

Use the links provided and your textbook to answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1.      What are three isotopes of uranium? What kind of half life do they each have? What percent of each of these isotopes exist in nature?

2.      What is induced fission? Exactly what happens during induced fission?

3.      Why does induced fission release so much energy? What equation do you use to determine the amount of energy released?

4.      Define critical mass

5.      What is a chain reaction?

6.      Draw a diagram showing a chain reaction

7.      Use the link on nuclear power plants to draw a diagram of a nuclear reactor. Use this link and the other links on this page to answer the following questions:

     In a nuclear reactor, what is the purpose of the:

a.       containment vessel (structure)

b.      steam turbine

c.       control rods (2 examples)

d.      coolant (6 examples)

e.       radiation shield

f.        cooling tower

g.       moderator

8.      What is nuclear contamination?

9.      What is another radioactive material that can be used in a nuclear power plant? How is it created?

10.  Click on the link for Picture of a chain reaction. From this link, click on the link for fission fragment. Follow this by a click on Cesium -137.  Now answer the following questions: 

a. What are the two most dangerous isotopes? Why?

b. Why can Iodine -131 be used in medicine?

c. Why is Cesium -137 mistaken for potassium by the human body?

Created by Karen Tutnauer"
This page was last updated on 05/28/2005