Chapter 6

NUCLEAR ENERGY.
6.1 Radioactive substances. are substances with unstable nuclei in their atoms. unstable nuclei will decay and emit radioactive substances. examples of radioactive substances are : a) uranium b) radium c) carbon-14 d) polonium e) cobalt-60 f) iodine-131

Radioactive decay. is the disintegration of unstable nuclei of radioactive substances to form smaller fractions of more stable nuclei. when this process occurs, the nuclei of the radioactive substances emit alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays as radioactive radiation.
radioactive substance

unstable nucleus atom

stable new nucleus atom

this process occurs spontaneously (by itself without being planned).

Radioactive radiation. Radioactive substances can emit three types of radioactive radiation during the decaying process, namely alpha ray (), beta rays (), and gamma rays (y).

Radioactive radiation

Alpha rays - nuclei of helium - consist of positivelycharged (+) particles - the penetrating power is low, can be blocked by a sheet of paper

Beta rays - consist of high speed electrons, which are negativelycharged (-) - the penetrating power is higher, can be blocked by a tin sheet of aluminium

Gamma rays - neutral (in terms of electrical charges) - consists of highpower electromagnetic waves - the penetrating power is very high, can only be blocked by a thick lead or a thick concrete.
Alpha rays with positive charges deflect towards the negative plate. gamma rays

-----------------------------alpha rays (+)

Gamma rays are neutral in terms of electrical charges. Hence, the rays are not deflected by electrical field.

beta rays (-)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

the deflection of radioactive rays in electrical field

Beta rays with negative charges deflected towards the positive plate. The deflection of alpha particle because the mass of beta particle is less than the mass of alpha particle.

Type of particle Type of charge Penetrating power

Type of radioactive substance Alpha rays Beta rays Gamma rays Nuclei of helium High speed Electromagnetic electrons waves Positive (+) Negative (-) Neutral Low, can be High, can be Highest, can only blocked by a blocked by a thin be blocked by a sheet of paper or aluminium sheet. thick lead or a a cardboard. thick concrete.

Radioisotopes. are isotopes of a radioactive substance. examples of radioisotopes are carbon-14, cobalt-60 and iodine-131. Comparison Similarity The same element The same proton number The same number of electrons Difference Number of neutrons Nucleon number Radioactive substance Emits radioactive rays

Carbon-12 Isotope 6 6 6 12 No No

Carbon-14 radioisotope 6 6 8 14 Yes Yes

Uses of radioactive substances. the use if a radioactive substance depends on the type and dose of radioactive radiation emitted. radioactive substances are widely used in the fields of : - agriculture - medicine - archaeology - industry - food preservation Agriculture gamma rays are used to sterilise pests. gamma rays are used to produce new breeds of plants with better quality. radioisotopes are used as detectors to study the absorption and use of phosphate by plants.

 for example, phosphoru-32 is added to phosphorus fertiliser to study the effectiveness of the absorption of certain fertilisers by plant roots. carbon-14 is used to study the path of carbon in the photosynthesis of green plants. Medicine gamma rays from cobalt-60 are used to kill cancer cells without resorting to operation. (radiotherapy) gamma rays are used to sterilise instruments used in an operation. radioactive substance is used as tracer in internal organs such as the intestine, heart, and kidneys. a radioactive substance is injected into the patients body, the movement of the radioisotopes can be seen on a computer screen. a radioactive substance is injected into the patients body to trace the growth of tumour in the brain. the radioactive substance will gather around the tumour with that, the location of the tumour is traced. Archaeology is the study of remains or ancient artifacts from the past. radioisotopes carbon-14 is used to study the age of ancient artifacts. this method is known as carbon dating or radiocarbon dating. Industry controlling the thickness of materials : a) In the factory, the thickness of paper can be controlled by measuring the quantity of radiation penetrating the paper with Geiger-Muller counter. b) apart from paper, the thickness of plastic, aluminium or iron can also be controlled by using beta rays. detecting leakage of underground pipes : a) a small quantity of radioactive substance is put into water, gas or oil in an underground pipe. b) the movement of the radioactive substance can be traced by using the Geiger-Muller counter. study the wear out rate of piston a) a radioactive iron is used to study the wear out rate at piston in car engine. b) a quantity of radioactive iron that is found in lubricant oil can be detected by using a detector device.

Food preservation

Sterilising Food - Gamma rays are used to sterilise food, i.e. to kill bacteria, fungi or insects in food even after the food has already been wrapped or packed. Preventing the germination of potatoes and vegetables - Gamma rays can prevent potatoes and vegetables from germinating. - This enables food to be stored for a longer period.

6.2 Production of Nuclear Energy. nuclear energy can be produced in nuclear reactors through two method : 1. Nuclear Fission 2. Nuclear Fusion Producing nuclear energy through Nuclear Fission. energy is released by rearranging the neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. this can be done through nuclear fission. nuclear fission is a process in which a high energy neutron bombards a uranium nucleus. the nucleus becomes unstable and splits into two (or more) lighter nuclei with the release of two or three neutrons and a large amount.

nuclear fission of uranium to produce nuclear energy. the energy produced is nuclear energy. apart from this, heat energy and light energy are also released. most of the radioactive radiation released is gamma rays.

 nuclear fission is carried out in a nuclear reactor to produce electrical energy. Uses of nuclear energy. nuclear energy is used to produce electrical energy in a nuclear reactor at a nuclear power station. fossil fuel like coal and petroleum in the earth is increasingly diminishing. therefore, nuclear energy is an alternative energy source that is becoming more important to replace fossil fuel in generating electrical energy. Process of generating electricity from nuclear energy. nuclear energy is produced in a nuclear reactor in a nuclear power station.

] Nuclear Energy
nuclear energy produced by nuclear fission of radioactive substance.

Heat Energy
heat energy boils water in steam generator to produce steam.

Kinetic Energy
steam rotates the turbine to generate electrical energy.

Electrical Energy
electrical energy is channelled through electric cables to consumers.

energy transformation occurs during generating electricity. 6.3 Proper handling of radioactive substances. Effects of radioactive radiation on living things. all high-energy radiation is harmful to living things. the energy in radiation can destroy molecules in living tissues and kill cells. the effects of radioactive radiation on living things depend on the total amount of radiation received. exposure to a certain dose of radioactive radiation over a short period can cause: (a) nausea (b) vomiting (c) diarrhoea (d) hair loss

(e) loss of appetite (f) internal bleeding exposure to a certain dose of radioactive radiation for a longer period can cause: (a) mutation (b) cancer (c) abnormality to foetus mutation can cause a baby to suffer disability and this condition may be inherited by future generations. Proper handling of radioactive substances and radioactive wastes. 1. Radioactive substances are normally stored in thick lead containers surrounded by thick concrete. 2. Radioactive wastes are stored in tightly closed lead containers and then kept in the reactor compound or buried at the bottom of the sea. 3. Workers in nuclear power stations need to wear a special protective outfit and dosimeter or film badge. The dosimeter of film badge indicates the intensity of radioactive radiation exposed to the workers. 4. The warning symbol of radioactive substances must be displayed at places that store radioactive resources. 5. The law should be tightened to ensure that radioactive wastes are disposed off properly and do not harm living things on earth.