Uses of Nuclear Chemistry

Fission & Fusion Fission: the splitting of a nucleus into many pieces  large release of energy Nuclear reactors Fusion: the combining of nuclei (bind two or more light and less stable nuclei to form a single, more stable nucleus) Stars Nuclear reactions can happen naturally, but they can take long periods of time (about 4.5 billion years)

Nuclear Reactors Used to generate electricity Uranium-235 is used (a certain amount required to sustain a chain reaction) Other metals are used to absorb “extras” during the reaction These metals must be serviced regularly Some of the materials become radioactive and cannot be reused

How Nuclear Reactors Work:

Nuclear Waste Where do we store it? Any problems with this?

Japan’s Meltdown

Uses of Radiation Medicine Radiotracer- emits non-ionizing radiation to detect a specific element

Radiation Exposure Accumulated Doses Measured in units called rem: measures doses of radiation while accounting for energy of radiation, type of living tissue absorbing radiation and time of exposure. Natural background: you are exposed to radiation on a regular basis (150mrem/yr) This radiation comes from sources such as cosmic radiation, the ground, buildings, air, inside human body, medical and dental x-rays, nuclear weapon testing, air travel Detection: Film badges

Food Preservation Irradiate food to kill microorganisms

ushima-power-plant-leak ushima-power-plant-leak