Phys 001 Project 1

Group Members
Meixi Chen Lisa McMeekin Yue Wu Meng Ma Chen Zhang

Prevailing Views before the Discovery

Modern atomic theory by John Dalton in the early years of the 19th century
Each chemical element is composed of atoms

of a SINGLE, unique type, and that though they are both immutable and indestructible, they can combine to form more complex structures The total mass in a chemical reaction remains CONSTANT

Prevailing Views before the Discovery

Plum pudding model of the atom by J.J. Thomson in 1904

The atom is composed of electrons

surrounded by a soup of positive charge to balance the electron's negative charge, like negativelycharged "plums" surrounded by positively-charged "pudding".

E=MC2
This equation, by Einstein, was published in in 1905. It suggested that especially small amounts of matter can produce especially large amount of energy. This theory sparked interest around the world which lead to the discovery of nuclear power .

Splitting the Atom

John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton were given credit for first splitting the atom in 1932. Using an 800-kilovolt transformer, they accelerated protons down and 8ft tube. The protons slammed into a lithium atom thus splitting the atom in half.

Nuclear Fission

This term was coin in 1938 by Lisa Meitner while she, Otto Hahn, Fitz Strassmann, and Otto Frisch were splitting uranium atoms.

They found that sending a neutron through a uranium atom results in a lighter atom and a burst of energy.
Meitner and Frisch then calculated the energy produced thus proving Einsteins E=MC2.

Self-Sustaining Reaction

Enrico Fermi had same results in 1934 but didnt realize he was actually splitting atoms. He was focusing on the radioactivity produced By 1940, Fermi confirmed that nuclear fission can produce a self-sustaining reaction

Nuclear Weapon

An explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion.
A fission bomb uses radiation to compress and heat a separate section of fusion fuel.

The United States is the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons during war, using two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

A treaty to limit the spread of nuclear weapons Opened for signature on July 1, 1968 There are currently 189 countries party to the treaty, five of which have nuclear weapons: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the People's Republic of China

Nuclear Energy
The sun and stars are seemingly inexhaustible sources of energy. That energy is the result of nuclear reactions, in which matter is converted to energy. We have been able to harness that mechanism and regularly use it to generate power. Presently, nuclear energy provides for approximately 16% of the world's electricity. Unlike the stars, the nuclear reactors that we have today work on the principle of nuclear fission. Scientists are working like madmen to make fusion reactors which have the potential of providing more energy with fewer disadvantages than fission reactors.

Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy Started about 35 years ago in 1973, because of the oil crisis In 1973 17% of US electric power was produced from oil, while in 1990 only 4% of oil was used to produce electricity In 1973 nuclear energy produced 5% of US electricity, in 1990 21%.
As of 2005, nuclear power provided 6.3% of the world's energy and 15% of the world's electricity,

Advantages of Nuclear Energy

The Earth has limited supplies of coal and oil. Nuclear power plants could still produce electricity after coal and oil become scarce. Nuclear power plants need less fuel than ones which burn fossil fuels. One ton of uranium produces more energy than is produced by several million tons of coal or several million barrels of oil. Coal and oil burning plants pollute the air. Welloperated nuclear power plants do not release contaminants into the environment.

The nations of the world now have more than enough nuclear bombs to kill every person on Earth. The two most powerful nations -- Russia and the United States -- have about 50,000 nuclear weapons between them. What if there were to be a nuclear war? What if terrorists got their hands on nuclear weapons? Or what if nuclear weapons were launched by accident?...

Nuclear explosions produce radiation. The nuclear radiation harms the cells of the body which can make people sick or even kill them. Illness can strike people years after their exposure to nuclear radiation. One possible type of reactor disaster is known as a meltdown. In such an accident, the fission reaction goes out of control, leading to a nuclear explosion and the emission of great amounts of radiation. Nuclear reactors also have waste disposal problems. Reactors produce nuclear waste products which emit dangerous radiation. Because they could kill people who touch them, they cannot be thrown away like ordinary garbage. Currently, many nuclear wastes are stored in special cooling pools at the nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors only last for about forty to fifty years.

Protecting Our Environment

. Nuclear energy plants reduce electric utility emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 percent, or 128 trillion tons per year . So why not use Coal? Because if Coal was used instead of Nuclear Energy it would cause an annual emission of 1600 million tons of CO2, therefore Nuclear Energy is more healthier for the environment

The Future of Nuclear Energy

Some people think that nuclear energy is here to stay and we must learn to live with it. Others say that we should get rid of all nuclear weapons and power plants. Both sides have their cases as there are advantages and disadvantages to nuclear energy. Still others have opinions that fall somewhere in between. What do you think we should do? After reviewing the pros and cons, it is up to you to formulate your own opinion. Read more about the politics of the issues or go to the forum to share your own opinions and see what others think.

Nuclear Power in the World Today

Apart from being developed as a world new environmentally friendly energy, nuclear power has also been applied to study of other fields, such as nuclear reactor for space, radioisotopes in medicine, nuclear-powered ships, radioisotopes in industry, nuclear desalination, smoke detectors and americium

Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medicine that uses radiation to provide information about the functioning of a person's specific organs or to treat disease. In most cases, the information is used by physicians to make a quick, accurate diagnosis of the patient's illness. The thyroid, bones, heart, liver and many other organs can be easily imaged, and disorders in their function revealed. In some cases radiation can be used to treat diseased organs. Five Nobel Laureates have been intimately involved with the use of radioactive tracers in medicine.

Nuclear techniques are increasingly used in industry and environmental management. For example, neutron techniques for analysis and gamma & x-ray techniques in analysis.

The continuous analysis and rapid response of nuclear techniques, many involving radioisotopes, mean that reliable flow and analytic data can be constantly available. This results in reduced costs with increased product quality.

Works Cited

Atomic theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_theory Nuclear Weapons and the Link to Nuclear Power , 2007 http://www.beyondnuclear.org/index.php?option=com_cont ent&view=article&id=114&Itemid=60 http://www-groups.dcs.stand.ac.uk/~history/Indexes/HistoryTopics.html http://www.greatachievments.org http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/nuclear.htm http://www.world-nuclear.org/why/default.aspx http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/nonrenewable/nuclear.html