Environmental Science Study Guide s1

Name: ______Period: ______Date: ______Environmental Science Study Guide Nuclear Energy Vocabulary Give a brief definition of each of these terms in your own words.

1. Nucleus –

2. Isotope –

3. Radiation –

4. Nuclear Fission –

5. Nuclear Fallout –

6. Meltdown –

Critical Thinking Be able to read, analyze, and give complete answers to questions like these.

7. Label a proton, neutron, and electron on the diagram below.

8. The most common fuel for nuclear energy and nuclear weapons is Uranium-235. In terms of protons, neutrons, and electrons, what does the 235 mean?

9. Why is Uranium-235 an ideal isotope to use for nuclear technology compared to something like carbon-12?

Environmental Science Worksheets and Resources http://www.aurumscience.com Page 1 10. Explain what is happening in each of the lettered steps in the nuclear fission diagram shown to the right.

11. Where did the United States conduct all of its nuclear testing following World War II?

12. Describe Shot Able and Shot Baker, the two blasts that were detonated as part of Operation Crossroads. Which one caused more nuclear fallout?

13. How was Castle Bravo different than the Operation Crossroads blasts? Why did it cause so much more international alarm?

14. What is more dangerous, 100 rems of radiation exposure from an external source, or 100 rems of radiation exposure from an internal source (e.g. something you breathe in or eat)? Why?

15. When Dwight Eisenhower gave the “Atoms for Peace” speech, what constructive use of nuclear energy was he introducing? 16. Look at the diagram of the nuclear power plant below. Describe the purpose of each of the listed structures.

a. Containment Building –

b. Control Rods –

c. Fuel Rods –

d. Pumps –

e. Turbine –

f. Generator –

g. Cooling Tower –

17. Why do nuclear reactors have three separate water loops instead of just a single one that runs from the water source, through the reactor, then back to the cooling tower?

18. Under normal circumstances, what exactly is emitted by a nuclear power plant?

19. Explain what two events led to the end of the boom in nuclear reactor construction of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States.

20. What was the major failure that led to the Three Mile Island partial meltdown? 21. Briefly describe the three design flaws at the Chernobyl plant that made the explosion and meltdown such a disaster.

22. What event and subsequent failure led to the Fukushima meltdown?

23. Describe the difference between low-level waste and high-level waste from nuclear reactors.

24. What geographic features of Yucca Mountain in Nevada made it such an attractive location for a nuclear waste repository? Why were these plans eventually cancelled?

25. Compare how transmutation and geologic disposal deal with nuclear waste.

26. Approximately how much of our total energy generation is from nuclear power?