Deck 6: Energy From Nuclear Fission

Question 1

Consider the fission process in equation (6.3); (a) Calculate the total binding energy for each of the components in the reaction.
(b) Show that the fission energy is the total binding energy on the right hand side of the
equation minus the total binding energy on the left hand side.

Answer 1

Question 2

Answer 2

From Appendix IV the energy content of one tonne of coal is comparison to fission energy we convert this to MeV to get

Question 3

Calculate the energy of the gamma ray liberated during thermal neutron

Answer 3

The reaction is

Question 4

with the fission process:

Question 5

If nuclear energy production and nuclear waste policies remain the same as
they are at present, estimate the mass and volume of spent fuel from commercial power
reactors in the year 2100.

Question 6

A common induced fission process in a thermal nuclear reactor is

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

A 800 MWe nuclear generating station inputs cooling water at a temperature
of 5 °C and exhausts it at a temperature of 25 °C. If the station operates at an efficiency of
41%, what is the flow rate of the water in kg/s?

Question 10

If present in equal amounts when the earth was formed, calculate their relative abundance at
present. Note: The age of the earth is 4.54 billion years.

Question 11

Question 12

Use the information in Figure 6.27 to argue that it is more likely to die in a
nuclear accident with 10 fatalities than in one with 1000 fatalities.

Question 13

produce the same amount of thermal energy as 1 tonne of coal?

Question 14

Fissile

Question 15

Assume that the total number of nuclear reactors worldwide has remained
relatively constant since the mid-1970s. Is the occurrence of the three major nuclear
accidents discussed in this chapter consistent with the predictions of the Rasmussen study
shown in Figure 6.32?

Question 16

There were 56 total known fatalities from the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
On the basis of the Rasmussen report, estimate the anticipated time scale for a similar
accident. Discuss this estimate in the context of the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident.

Question 17

is a common and particularly troublesome fission fragment produced in

Question 18

Coal can contain up to about 2000 ppm (by mass) of natural uranium.
Compare the chemical energy content of the coal with the available fission energy from the