nuclear power

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

Conservation of energy

What is the nature of energy in the universe?

Energy will spread out uniformly

What does the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics state?

Entropy or the process of loss

How does heat loss move energy between matter?

Heat losses move energy between matter

How do electromagnetic waves move energy between points in space?

EM waves move energy between points in space

What happens to energy each time it gets transferred or transformed?

Some of it (and then eventually all of it) gets less useful

What does entropy measure?

The amount of disorder in a system

How is energy generated in the man-made energy cycle?

Burning of a fuel

What types of energy resources are possible?

Fossil fuels- mostly stored by the plant-animal energy cycle

Does our use of fossil fuels outweigh replacement?

Yes

What are some important types of energy?

coal, oil, natural gas

What are some renewable types of energy?

hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, solar, wind

What are some important types of nuclear power?

fission and fusion

What is fission?

breaking a heavy nucleus apart using slow neutrons

What is the most common source of energy generation in the US?

fossil fuel

What is one advantage of fusion?

Simple and relatively cheap

What is one disadvantage of fusion?

Fuel production

What is the calorie output per gram for fusion?

1 calorie

What is the calorie output per gram for gasoline?

10 calories

What are the two types of reactors for fusion?

Light water reactors, boiling water reactors

What is the most common type of reactor in the U.S.?

Pressurized water reactors

What are heavy water reactors used for in fusion?

Coolant and moderator

What happened at Three Mile Island?

Reactor overheated and system shutdown

What were the consequences of the accident?

Gas release and closure of TMI-2

What changes were made to U.S. reactors?

Design changes were mandated

What were the main issues in the Chernobyl disaster?

Cheap materials used in containment building

What caused the Chernobyl disaster?

Design problems and prohibited control rod configuration

What were the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?

Over 9,000 deaths and widespread dispersion of radioactive material

What is one remaining problem after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster?

Nuclear waste disposal