Sources of energy on Earth include fossil fuels, geothermal, gravitational, hydroelectric, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, solar, wind. Which of these have a "nuclear origin," either directly or indirectly?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The sources of energy on Earth that have a nuclear origin, either directly or indirectly, are Geothermal, Nuclear fission, Nuclear fusion, Solar.

Step by step solution

01

Define Nuclear Origin

Nuclear origin refers to any form of energy generation or source that arises from the nucleus of an atom. This can be either through nuclear reactions such as fusion (where two atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier nucleus) and fission (where a heavy nucleus splits into two lighter ones), or from the decay of radioactive materials.
02

Assess Each Energy Source

\begin{itemize}\item Fossil fuels - No nuclear origin. Fossil fuels come from decayed plants and animals buried and subjected to intense heat and pressure.\item Geothermal - Indirect nuclear origin. The earth's heat primarily comes from the decay of radioactive materials within the earth, which is a nuclear process.\item Gravitational - No nuclear origin. Gravitational energy is associated with the potential energy due to an object's position in a gravitational field.\item Hydroelectric - No nuclear origin. Hydroelectric energy is derived from the movement of water due to gravity.\item Nuclear fission - Direct nuclear origin. Nuclear fission energy is generated by splitting the nucleus of an atom.\item Nuclear fusion - Direct nuclear origin. Nuclear fusion energy is generated by fusing two atomic nuclei.\item Solar - Direct nuclear origin. The sun’s energy comes from a nuclear fusion process.\item Wind - No nuclear origin. Wind energy is derived from the uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun, resulting in the movement of air.\end{itemize}
03

Energy Sources List

From the assessment of each energy source, those with a nuclear origin, either directly or indirectly, are Geothermal, Nuclear fission, Nuclear fusion, Solar.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Why do heavy elements such as uranium undergo fission while light elements such as hydrogen and lithium undergo fusion?

Cobalt- 60 is an isotope used in diagnostic medicine and cancer treatment. It decays with \(\gamma\) ray emission. Calculate the wavelength of the radiation in nanometers if the energy of the \(\gamma\) ray is \(2.4 \times 10^{-13} \mathrm{~J} /\) photon.

The quantity of a radioactive material is often measured by its activity (measured in curies or millicuries) rather than by its mass. In a brain scan procedure, a \(70-\mathrm{kg}\) patient is injected with \(20.0 \mathrm{mCi}\) of \({ }^{99 \mathrm{~m}} \mathrm{Tc},\) which decays by emitting \(\gamma\) -ray photons with a half-life of \(6.0 \mathrm{~h}\). Given that the \(\mathrm{RBE}\) of these photons is 0.98 and only two-thirds of the photons are absorbed by the body, calculate the rem dose received by the patient. Assume all of the \({ }^{99 \mathrm{~m}} \mathrm{Tc}\) nuclei decay while in the body. The energy of a gamma photon is \(2.29 \times 10^{-14} \mathrm{~J}\).

In the thorium decay series, thorium- 232 loses a total of \(6 \alpha\) particles and \(4 \beta\) particles in a 10 -stage process. What is the final isotope produced?

Complete the following nuclear equations and identify \(\mathrm{X}\) in each case: (a) \({ }_{53}^{135} \mathrm{I} \longrightarrow{ }_{54}^{135} \mathrm{Xe}+\mathrm{X}\) (b) \({ }_{19}^{40} \mathrm{~K} \longrightarrow{ }_{-1}^{0} \beta+\mathrm{X}\) (c) \({ }_{27}^{59} \mathrm{Co}+{ }_{0}^{1} \mathrm{n} \longrightarrow{ }_{25}^{56} \mathrm{Mn}+\mathrm{X}\) (d) \({ }_{92}^{235} \mathrm{U}+{ }_{0}^{1} \mathrm{n} \longrightarrow{ }_{40}^{99} \mathrm{Zr}+{ }_{52}^{135} \mathrm{Te}+2 \mathrm{X}\).

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