CHAPTER 6:

NUCLEAR ENERGY
6.1 Radioactive Substances
1. Radioactive substances are the materials which contain radioisotopes.

2. Radioactive substance ARE substances:

(i) contain unstable nuclei

(ii) these nuclei tend to decay (break up) spontaneously to become more stable .

(iii) As the decay, they emit dangerous and invisible radioactive radiations and lots of energy

3. Examples of radioactive substances in hospital are carbon-14, cobalt-60 and iodine-131.

Radioactive Decay

1. Radioactive nuclei are unstable, and will eventually break-up or decay.

2. Radioactive decay is a decay process which transforms an unstable nucleus into more stable
one together with the emission of radioactive radiation.

radioactive radiation

Unstable More
atom stable
atom

radioactive particle

Process of radioactive decay

3. Radioactive decay is a spontaneous and random process it happens all by itself without
external factors (e.g temperature, pressure)
4. During radioactive decay, 3 types of radiation can be emitted by the nucleus :
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 (i) Alpha radiation, ()
(ii) Beta radiation, ()
(iii) Gamma radiation, ()

Radioactive Radiation
0-0----Types of Radioactive Radiation

Radioactive substances Type of radiation

Uranium-238 Alpha radiation
Iodine-1311 Beta radiation
Cobalt-60 Gamma radiation
Radium-226 Alpha, beta and gamma radiation

SIMILARITIES :

All are radioactive radiations

All have penetrating and ionising power.

All are INVISIBLE (cannot be seen by naked eyes)

Figure 6.1 The three common types of radioactive decay.
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Differences:
Alpha Beta Gamma

Electromagnetic
Nature Helium nucleus Electron
wave1

Charge Positive Negative Neutral

Extremely high
Low (stopped by a Moderate penetrating
Penetrating power2 penetrating power
sheet of paper) power (stopped by an
(stopped by a thick
aluminium sheet
lead block (25mm) or
(5mm thick)
thick concrete wall)

25 mm lead block or
Can stopped by A sheet of paper 5 mm aluminium
concrete wall

Deflected to the Deflected to the

Effect of Electrical
negative plate of the positive plate of the Not deflected
field
electrical field electrical field
Very fast (equal to the
Velocity/Speed Slow Fast
speed of light)
Ionising power3 High Low Very low

Mass Heaviest Heavy No mass

Particle or Rays
Two proton and two One atom
neutrons Ray

(a) DEFLECTION OF RADIOACTIVE RADIATIONS IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD

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 (b)Penetrating power of alpha beta and gamma radiation

IONISING POWER

As the radioactive radiation passes through matter, it collides with atoms of the matter.

This may cause the electrons of the atoms to be knocked out. As a result, ions are formed.

Alpha particles have the highest ionising power because they are bigger and have charges
which are double those of beta particles.

The ionising power of gamma rays is the weakest.

Penetrating power

When radioactive radiation passes through a matter , it loses energy.

Penetrating power refers to the distance travelled by the radiation, from the point it enters
the matter to the point it loses all its energy and stops.

Alpha particles move at slow speeds, hence have a low penetrating power. Alpha particles
can be stopped by a sheet of paper.

Beta particles have a higher penetrating power than alpha particles. Beta particles can be
stopped by an aluminium sheet that is a few millimetres thick.

Gamma radiation has an extremely high penetrating power. Gamma radiation can only be
stopped by a thick lead block or thick concrete wal

Effect of electrical field

Alpha particles are deflected by an electrical field or a magnetic field.

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 Alpha particles are positively charged; therefore they are deflected away from the positive
plate of the electrical field.

Beta particles are negatively charged, hence they are deflected away from negative plate of
the electrical field.

Gamma rays are neutral, hence they are not affected by the electrical field.

USES OF NUCLEAR SUBSTANCES

(a) In industry

Detect leaks in underground water pipes, by adding a radioactive tracer such as sodium-24
to the fluid in the pipe.

Gamma rays are used in controlling the thickness of paper, plastic or aluminium foil

Study the wear and tear of the moving parts of machinery by using a radioactive tracer such
as radioisotope iron.

To ensure the bottles and Containers are filled to the correct

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 Phosphorus -32 and nitrogen-15 are used as tracers to track the uptake of fertilisers and
chemicals in plants .

Gamma rays are used to induce mutations in plants and animals, so that they can obtain
new breeds with higher yield, earlier maturity, better nutritional value and greater
resistance to diseases.

Gamma rays are used to sterilise and control pest such as insects.

(c) Medical treatment

As tracer to check the function of body organs

Iodin-131 is used to check the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland.

Cobalt-60 is used to kill cancerous cells (radiotherapy).

Gamma rays from Cobalt-60 are used to sterilise hospital equipment.

Sodium-24 is used to detect blood clots in the body.

Cobalt-60

(d) Food preservation

Gamma rays are used to kill bacteria , moulds or insects in food. (gamma ray irradiation)

Gamma ray also used to treat potatoes so that shoot will not grow while being stored.

(e) Archeology

Carbon-14 is used to estimate the age of ancient remains and artifacts (CARBON-14
DATING)

Plants or animals contain specific quantities of carbon-14. By determining the amount of

carbon-14 left in the artifacts scientists are able to estimate the age.
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 6.2 THE PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY AND
ITS USES
Renewable energy will be an important source of energy in the future

Renewable energy generated from wind or waves is not used in our country

Nuclear energy source of energy

PRODUCTION OF
NUCLEAR
ENERGY

........................ NUCLEAR
......................... ..........................

(a) Nuclear Fission

Is a process in which UNSTABLE AND HEAVY nucleus is with a

neutron
Causing it to into two LIGHTER NUCLEI
And release neutrons and ENERGY
Two lighter nuclei FISSION PRODUCTS

PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY?

(i) First, a slow moving .. is used to bombards the nucleus of the Uranium-
235

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(ii) The nucleus absorbs the neutron and becomes even .

(iii) The unstable nucleus splits into 2 LIGHTER nuclei which is and
..

(iv) At the same time, 3 new high-speed neutrons are produced with large amount of
energy.

(v) Neutrons that are produced will bombard another Uranium-235 nuclei RESULTING A
CHAIN REACTION

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 An uncontrolled chain reaction happened during the EXPLOSION of an ..

Example: the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb explosions during World War II

Released a .. of NUCLEAR energy and radioactive radiation

Caused great loss in human lives and properties

MORE NEUTRONS and ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY are released during nuclear
fission.

The release of energy can be controlled by using special device called a

In nuclear reactor, the number of chain reactions is controlled to determine the amount of
nuclear energy that will be produced

The BORON RODS inside nuclear reactor absorbs neutrons

This will control the number of neutrons that bombard the uranium-235

GRAPHITE CORE: the speeds of neutrons

(b) Nuclear Fusion

NUCLEAR FUSION is a process of (combining) 2 LIGHT NUCLEI

together to form a heavier and STABLE nucleus.

A very high temperature (10-10 million degree celcius) is needed for nuclear fusion to
occur.

Example of fusion reactor :

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 Heat and light energy from the Sun produced from the FUSION of
...

At high pressure and temperature

In nuclear fission:

hydrogen-2(..) and hydrogen-3() are combined at

very high temperature and pressure

To produce HEAVIER HELIUM nucleus

A neutrons and large amounts of energy is releases

However, the loss in atomic mass in nuclear fission is ..than in

nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion produce more energy than nuclear fission

Normally hyrogen-2 and hydrogen-3 isotopes are used in nuclear fusion

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 Nuclear fission used to make hydrogen bombs

Hydrogen bombs release . nuclear energy than atomic bombs

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NUCLEAR FISSION

AND NUCLEAR FUSION
(a) SIMILARITIES

NUCLEAR NUCLEAR FUSION

FISSION
- BOTH PROCESS PRODUCE
..
- BOTH PROCESS PRODUCE NEUTRONS

- BOTH PROCESSES CAUSE A LOSS IN ATOMIC

MASS

(b)DIFFERENCES

-involves the Nature of the Involves the

of a process of
heavy nucleus into two two lighter nuclei into
lighter nucleus a heavier nucleus

The uranium-235 nucleus example The hydrogen-2 and

is bombarded with hydrogen-3 isotopes fuse
neutrons at very high temperature
and pressure

USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

Nuclear energy is used to:

(i) Generate ..

(ii) Propel submarines and big vessels

(iii) Operate ..
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PROCESS OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY FROM NUCLEAR ENERGY

(1) a series of
. produces (2)nuclear energy in the form of
nuclear energy in the nuclear heat energy HEATS and BOILS
reactor the cold water

(6) Electricity is transmitted through (3) the high-pressure

the National Grid Network to produced from
consumers the boiled water rotates the
turbine

(4)Rotation of the turbine

(5) rotation of the dynamo rotate the dynamo in the
electricity generator
.

EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION

People will consider the use of nuclear energy when:

(i) The cost of fossil fuels increases and fossil fuels become uneconomical to generate
electricity

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(ii) There are problems obtaining fossils fuels as it is fast depleting

(iii) People are convinced that nuclear reactors are better equipped to prevent nuclear-related
accidents

Advantages of nuclear energy production:

It .. poisonous or toxic gases which may pollute the environment

It is cheaper than fossil fuels even though the cost of building a nuclear power station

It requires just a . of radioactive substances to generate a large

amount of electricity

It does not produce a lot of wastes such as soot, dust and ashes, unlike the burning of fossil
fuels

Disadvantages of nuclear energy production:

The exposure to nuclear radiation can.. living cells and cause deformities
for generations or death

A substantial amount of money is needed for proper maintenance of nuclear power stations
to prevent accidents such as explosion or radiation leakage

It produces radioactive wastes that will decay and emit radioactive radiation for a very long
period

If accident happen, radioactive substances may release into the environment

6.3 THE NEED FOR PROPER HANDLING OF RADIOACTIVE

SUBSTANCES

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