Nuclear reactors work like this: Nuclear Fission->Heats water to make steam->Steam turns turbines->Turbines turn generators->Electrical power. It's good to know more though.
- - - - - ADVANTAGES - - - - -
-Nuclear power costs the same as coal
-It produces water vapor instead of smoke or Carbon Dioxide (Co2), so it ill not pollute the atmosphere
-Nuclear reactors produce lots of energy from little fuel
-They produce little waste
-It is a very reliable source of energy
- - - - - DISADVANTAGES - - - - -
-The waste from nuclear reactors is very dangerous and must be buried for thousands of years to become safe. Earthquakes, flooding, and terrorist attacks make this very difficult and sometimes impossible.
-Nuclear power is reliable but lots and lots of money is spent on safety equipment. Nuclear accidents can still, though, become major disasters.
It's useful to know some facts too. To start off, nuclear energy is NOT renewable. Once we run out of uranium, it is gone.
Fact #2: Nuclear power produces around 11% of the world's energy needs, and produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel, without the pollution that you'd get from burning fossil fuels.
Fact #3: If something does go wrong in a really big way, much of the world could be affected. Some radioactive dust from Chernobyl, Russia, landed in the UK.
Fact #4: CO2 is a very effective coolant in nuclear reactors.
Fact #5: Nuclear towers on a coast don't need giant cooling towers as they can just use the ocean water.
Fact #6: There have been very few deaths from nuclear reactor accidents, there has only been about 10.
Fact #7: The largest nuclear power plant ever in Palo Verde, Arizona, can produce 3973 megawatts a day.
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