Question
Question: What elements are used to produce nuclear power?...
What elements are used to produce nuclear power?
Solution
Nuclear power is the power generated by a nuclear reactor. It can be produced by nuclear fission, nuclear fusion and nuclear decay reactions. The elements that are used to produce nuclear power are the elements that have the property of high radioactivity like uranium and plutonium.
Complete answer:
Electricity is very useful to mankind nowadays. It can be generated through different ways by using different resources like water, wind, coal and nuclear reactions. The electricity that can be generated by using the nuclear reactor is known as nuclear power. Thus, the reactions that occur from nuclear fission, nuclear fusion and nuclear decay lead to the generation of nuclear power.
Presently, the main source of nuclear power is the nuclear fission of highly radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium.
Uranium- 235 and plutonium- 239 are the main elements that are used to produce nuclear power.
These elements bombard with the neutron particles and split into two uranium or two plutonium nuclei. Further, more neutron particles bombard with the more nucleus. This process continues as the chain reaction that leads to the generation of electricity. This chain reaction can be done in nuclear reactors.
Note:
The chain reaction that was done in nuclear reactors was processed and will not stop automatically. They should be stopped externally. So much heat will be released from the nuclear reactor while chain reaction is going on. Coolants like helium and a heavy quantity of water were needed to cool the nuclear reactors.