Title: Nuclear Power
Aim: To know what nuclear Energy is.
To understand the advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Energy
Task 1:
Watch video clip and answer the following questions:
• How many environmental hazards did you spot?
• Does it suggest any advantages to nuclear power?
• How real do you think this is?
• Could this happen in the UK?
Guardian News Story
Where in the World?
There are currently approximately 437 nuclear power reactors in operation around the
world, with a total output of some 350,000 megawatts. An additional 36 reactors are
currently under construction.
How Much? Where at Home?
Uranium
Nuclear power is generated using Uranium, which is a
metal mined in various parts of the world.
Because it is a mineral it will run out one day, but this
is in a long time to come. This means that Nuclear
Power it is considered a non-renewable energy.
Conversion & Enrichment
Once extracted, uranium ore is taken to a mill to be crushed and ground
into a fine powder. This is then purified in a chemical process and
reconstituted in a solid form known as "yellow cake", due to its yellow
colouring. Yellow cake consists of 60-70% uranium, and is radioactive.
It is then processed further and is turned into the rods which generates
nuclear power plants
Power stations
Nuclear power stations work in pretty much the same way as fossil fuel-burning
stations, except that a "chain reaction" inside a nuclear reactor makes the heat
instead.
Waste
The waste from nuclear power stations is radioactive.
There are two ways of handling waste:
1. Reprocessing for reuse
• Produces less waste that is more radioactive
• Some of this waste can be used to make weapons
2. Disposal
• Waste is sealed in containers, and stored in concrete
ponds or buried
WASTE DISPOSAL
Use these words to answer the questions:
Nuclear burn chain dangerous energy no reactor
robot rods shielding turbines uranium waste water
1. Is nuclear power renewable? [yes/no] .
2. Nuclear power stations use___________ as fuel. They need very little, compared to a
"fossil" power station because there is much more ______________ in nuclear fuel.
3. The __________ reaction inside the ___________ creates heat, which turns
________ into steam to drive __________, which drive generators to make
electricity.
4. The fuel ______ are safe to handle before they go into the reactor, it's only when
they come out that you need to handle them with ___________ arms and heavy
________.
5. __________ power stations do not create atmospheric pollution, because they do not
______anything. However, the small amount of _________ that they do produce is
very __________.
Opinions
Working in pairs match up the statements with who you
think is the correct person.
NOTE:
Some people may hold the same opinions
E.g.: The government and the power station may both believe
nuclear energy is essential for meeting future energy demands.
In this case write the opinion next to both.
Nuclear Politician Environmentalist Homeowner
Power
Companies
Have you decided
what you think?
Nuclear energy is dangerous for the Nuclear Energy is great because it
environment because of the doesn’t produce CO2 and cause
radiation in the waste global warming.
Nuclear power stations are too
Nuclear I don’t want a nuclear power station
near where I live, it might explode
expensive to build. We should spend
Power like Chernobyl.
that money on researching ways to
improve renewable energy resources
Companies
Politician Renewable energy sources are
unreliable. What if the sun doesn’t
Nuclear power stations are safer
shine or the wind doesn’t blow?
now because of better technology.
Nuclear power is better because it
is reliable.
I think nuclear power stations are a There is no risk to the environment
potential targets for terrorists and because the waste is stored safely
Environmentalist so are unsafe. in sealed containers.
Nuclear power stations are
Nuclear power is a good because it
expensive to build but after that
is a long term solution. It won’t run
they produce really cheap
out soon.
electricity.
Homeowner
Have you decided Getting rid of civil reactors would
The waste from nuclear energy can
what you think? be turned into bombs.
not remove the risk of a nuclear war
breaking out.