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Chapter 19: Problem 46

No form of energy production is without risk. Make a list of the risks to society involved in fueling and operating a conventional coal-fired electric power plant, and compare them with the risks of fueling and operating a nuclear fission-powered electric plant.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Coal-fired plants present risks including environmental damage from mining and air pollution, and high CO2 emissions contributing to climate change. Nuclear fission power plants risk include nuclear accidents, radiation exposure, nuclear proliferation, and radioactive waste disposal. On comparing, coal-fired plant risks are often more immediate but generally less catastrophic, while nuclear risks are less frequent but potentially more damaging.

Step by step solution

01

List Coal-Fired Plant Risks

Begin by identifying and explaining the risks associated with coal-fired power plants. This could include issues such as air pollution, mining accidents, damage to the environment from mining, disposal of ash that can contaminate water supplies and the large amounts of CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change.
02

List Nuclear Fission Power Plant Risks

Next, identify and explain the risks associated with nuclear fission plants. This could range from nuclear accidents, radiation exposure, security risks related to nuclear proliferation, and problems with disposal of radioactive waste.
03

Comparison of Risks

The final step is making a comparative analysis of the risks associated with each type of power plant. This could involve looking at the severity, likelihood, and potential scale of different types of accidents, the long-term impacts of each type of pollution, and potential mitigation strategies.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Define nuclear binding energy, mass defect, and nucleon.

In the chapter, we learned to calculate the nuclear binding energy, which pertains to the stability of a particular nucleus. It is also possible to estimate the binding energy of a single nucleon (neutron or proton) to the remainder of the nucleus. (a) From the following nuclear equation and nuclear masses, calculate the binding energy of a single neutron: $${ }_{7}^{14} \mathrm{~N} \longrightarrow{ }_{7}^{13} \mathrm{~N}+{ }_{0}^{1} \mathrm{n}$$ (Useful information: \({ }_{7}^{14} \mathrm{~N}: 14.003074 \mathrm{amu} ;{ }_{7}^{13} \mathrm{~N}:\) 13.005738 amu; \({ }_{0}^{1} \mathrm{n}: 1.00866\) amu. \()\) (b) By a similar procedure, we can calculate the binding energy of a single proton according to the equation $${ }_{7}^{14} \mathrm{~N} \longrightarrow{ }_{6}^{13} \mathrm{C}+{ }_{1}^{1} \mathrm{p}$$ (Useful information: \({ }_{6}^{13} \mathrm{C}: 13.003355 \mathrm{amu} ;{ }_{1}^{1} \mathrm{p}:\) 1.00794 amu.) Comment on your results.

For each pair of elements listed, predict which one has more stable isotopes: (a) Co or \(\mathrm{Ni}\), (b) \(\mathrm{F}\) or Se, (c) Ag or Cd.

The half-life of \({ }^{27} \mathrm{Mg}\) is \(9.50 \mathrm{~min}\). (a) Initially there were \(4.20 \times 10^{12}{ }^{27} \mathrm{Mg}\) nuclei present. How many \({ }^{27} \mathrm{Mg}\) nuclei are left \(30.0 \mathrm{~min}\) later? (b) Calculate the \({ }^{27} \mathrm{Mg}\) activities \((\) in \(\mathrm{Ci})\) at \(t=0\) and \(t=30.0 \mathrm{~min}\). (c) What is the probability that any one \({ }^{27} \mathrm{Mg}\) nucleus decays during a 1 -s interval? What assumption is made in this calculation?

(a) Calculate the energy released when an U-238 isotope decays to Th-234. The atomic masses are \(\begin{array}{llll}\text { given by } & \text { U-238: } & 238.0508 & \text { amu; } & \text { Th-234: }\end{array}\) 234.0436 amu; He-4: 4.0026 amu. (b) The energy released in (a) is transformed into the kinetic energy of the recoiling Th- 234 nucleus and the \(\alpha\) particle. Which of the two will move away faster? Explain.
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