An Introduction to Nuclear Power Quiz

Answer: Fission

Fission involves using neutrons to "split" the nucleus of a heavy element, usually uranium, converting it to two or more lighter elements. In the process, a tiny amount of the element's mass is converted into energy. Fusion involves converting two hydrogen atoms into one of helium. Fusion produces a lot more energy than fission, but so far no one has found a way to control the process. Hydrogen bombs use fusion, but the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki employed fission.

Answer: Heat

Basically, a nuclear reactor is just a source of heat. During the fission process, the reactor becomes very, very hot. The heat is transferred to a fluid called the "coolant" that flows through the reactor. The coolant is then used to boil water to produce steam that powers a turbine which generates electricity. It's a very simple process, in theory at least.

Answer: Chicago

The first man-made nuclear reactor was built under the stands of an abandoned football stadium at the University of Chicago. It was a very primitive reactor, consisting basically of pellets of fissionable material (uranium), a moderator to slow down neutrons so the fission process could be sustained (blocks of graphite), and control rods made of cadmium. Cadmium absorbs neutrons, so to slow down the fission process, they were inserted into the "pile," and to speed it up, they were withdrawn. Modern reactors work on much the same principles, although the materials and technology have changed.

The first self-sustaining fission process, or "chain reaction," occurred on December 2, 1942. The first reactors were built in order to produce fissionable material that could be used to build atomic weapons.

Answer: Nautilus

USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was a marvel of technology. Submarines have always been a formidable weapon of war, but prior to advent of nuclear power, they were vulnerable to attack because they had to surface every other day or so in order to run the diesel generator that recharged the batteries that provided their power when submerged.

A nuclear powered submarine can stay submerged indefinitely, but the challenges in designing such a vessel were overwhelming. The reactor had to be made small enough to fit into a submarine hull, it had to be extremely reliable, and the crew had to be shielded from the radioactivity generated by the fission process.

These problems were solved in a remarkably short period of time. Nautilus remained on duty for over 25 years.

She was decommissioned in 1980, and is now berthed at Groton, Connecticut, where she attracts some 250,000 visitors per year.

Answer: Russia

The first commercial nuclear power plant was built in Obninsk, Russia, about 70 miles from Moscow. It went "online" on June 26, 1954, and continued to operate for almost 48 years. It was shut down on April 29, 2002.

Answer: False

According to the World Nuclear Association, nuclear power is the third leading source of electricity, behind coal (39%), and hydro-electric (19%). Over 30 countries supply part of their electricity needs using nuclear powered generators.

Answer: France

Although the United States produces more electricity from nuclear power than any other country, only about 20% of its electricity comes from nuclear plants. France, on the other hand, generates 78% of its electricity from nuclear power. Lithuania, Slovenia and Belgium use nuclear power to provide over half of their electrical production.

Answer: Ukraine

On April 26, 1986 reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) was undergoing testing when a steam explosion blew the top off the reactor, and released large quantities of radioactivity into the environment.

A total of 57 deaths have been attributed to the accident, and some sources estimate that up to 4,000 people may eventually die from exposure to radioactive fallout. The accident was the result of poor reactor design and human error.

Many of the system's safety devices has been deliberately disabled, and many of the personnel operating the reactor had very little experience. Such an accident could never happen at most western power plants. The much reported Three Mile Island incident, for example, resulted in no deaths, and minimal release of radioactivity.

Answer: Disposal of radioactive waste

As reactors operate, waste products from the fission process, isotopes called neutron poisons, build up in the fuel rods. These isotopes more readily absorb neutrons than the uranium in the fuel, and eventually a point is reached where the fission process cannot be sustained, and the fuel rods need to be replaced.

Some countries "recycle" the fuel rods, but a lot of waste material is still produced. In 2009, the world's reactors produced about 25,000 tons of high level radioactive waste per year.

It is extremely dangerous and remains radioactive for tens of thousands of years. Most of it is ground up, melted, and mixed with glass or concrete and then placed in leak proof stainless steel containers, which are then buried deep underground.

There are a lot of concerns that, despite all of the precautions taken, some of the radioactive materials could contaminate the environment. Despite the best efforts of scientists to come up with a solution to the problem, disposal of high level radioactive waste remains a major obstacle to further expansion of the nuclear power industry.

Answer: Ireland

There are no nuclear power plants in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. The rising price of oil and the environmental effects of burning coal have caused many countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt and Poland, to consider going nuclear.