6. Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is box a man-made source of background radiation.
i- Give one other man-made source of background radiation.
[1 mark]
ANSWER
Medical X-rays & CT Scan
Testing of nuclear weapons
(You may choose any two points from above.)
Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission to generate electricity.
ii- Give the name of one nuclear fuel.
[1 mark]
ANSWER
Uranium
Plutonium
(You may choose any two points from above.)
iii- Nuclear fission releases energy.
Describe the process of nuclear fission inside a nuclear reactor.
[4 marks]
ANSWER
Neutron is fired at Uranium nucleus which splits the nucleus into lighter nuclei and 2 or 3 energetic electrons are released. Moreover, energy is emitted in the form of gamma rays.
iv- A new type of power station is being developed that will generate electricity using nuclear fusion.
Explain how the process of nuclear fusion leads to the release of energy.
[2 marks]
ANSWER
Fusion is when lighter smaller nuclei are fused together to make a larger nucleus releasing energy. This energy comes from the conversion of mass difference.
v- Nuclear fusion power stations will produce radioactive waste. This waste will have a much shorter half-life than the radioactive waste from a nuclear fission power station.
Explain the advantage of the radioactive waste having a shorter half-life.
[2 marks]
ANSWER
The activity of the waste decreases quickly.
There is less risk of harm.
Disposing or burial sites don’t need to be monitored for a long perid of time.
