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| ==Types== | | ==Types== |
| * [[Conventional nuclear power]] - used by all reactors today | | * [[Conventional nuclear power]] <!--{{light|(uranium-235)}}--> |
| * [[Breeder reactors]] - not operational yet | | ** Used by all reactors today |
| | ** '''Not''' scalable enough to end [[climate change]]. |
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| ==Basic physics==
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| A nuclear reaction is far more [[energy]]-dense than a chemical reaction. Whereas combustion of [[fossil fuels]] involves splitting ''molecules'', nuclear fission involves splitting ''atoms''. This requires a ''fissionable'' material, such as uranium (which has large unstable atoms that split easily).
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| <!-- TODO: elaborate more:
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| * start from the beginning about how all matter is made of atoms which are sometimes arranged into molecules
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| * define radioactivity (unstable atoms which spontaneously split and release alpha/beta/gamma rays; explain what those are too)
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| * explain how reactors speed up the radioactive decay and control the rate of it
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| * talk about isotopes and which ones are fissile vs fertile
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| * compare fission with fusion, show the periodic table, point to which elements are suited for which.
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| -->
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| See [//wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission Wikipedia] for a much more detailed explanation of the physics.
| | * [[Breeder reactors]] <!--{{light|(uranium-238 or thorium-232)}}--> |
| | ** None are operational yet. |
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| ==Role in ending climate change==
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| [[Conventional nuclear power]] can't scale up enough to replace [[fossil fuels]], because it relies on uranium-235 which is too scarce. [[Breeder reactors]] could potentially be a solution to this problem, by making use of far-more-abundant materials such as uranium-238 and [[thorium]]. The technology for this is not quite ready yet. {{en}} <!-- TALK: maybe change this to mention how slow the breeding time is, and why that limits the immediate ability to replace fossil fuels -->
| | This wiki talks about nuclear fission's possible role in solving the global [[energy]] crisis. If you're looking for the physics of nuclear fission, see [//wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission Wikipedia] instead. |
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| [[Category:Energy sources]] | | [[Category:Energy sources]] |