Nuclear Engery and Its Effect on the Environment

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Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is energy that is released by reactions within the atomic nuclei, through nuclear fission or fusion. Nuclear energy is also called atomic energy (dictionary.com, 2013). Nuclear energy is produced in nuclear power plants. Nuclear power plants create electricity by heating water to create steam. The steam runs a generator that creates the electricity. Many types of fuels can be used to create heat and generate steam. Nuclear power plants create the heat by splitting atoms. Nuclear power plants use a radioactive element found in rocks called enriched uranium. Enriched uranium is used because when it breaks down in nature it heats Earth’s crust. In nuclear power plants enriched uranium heats water to create steam. Power plants create energy by splitting the nuclei inside each granule of uranium. This process is called nuclear fission (How does energy work, 2013).
Nuclear energy is sometimes considered a renewable energy source. Enriched uranium is a very abundant resource. It is found in most rocks. Despite its abundance there is a finite supply of u...

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