CHAPTER 39 – ENERGY SOURCES AND FUTURE NEEDS


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TEST TUBE


2. Research one of the renewable energy sources listed in the tables above. • Are there any other advantages of this energy source? • Are there any other disadvantages?


• Is this energy source used in Ireland? If so, how much of our energy is produced by this source? Visit the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) website to find out: www.seai.ie/data-and-insights


Nuclear energy


Nuclear energy is an energy source that falls between non-renewable and renewable. This is because the radioactive material used for nuclear power comes from millions of years of decay in the Earth’s crust. However, we need such a small quantity to produce massive amounts of energy that we will never use it up.


There are two methods of producing nuclear energy: • nuclear fission • nuclear fusion


Nuclear fission


Nuclear fission is the most commonly used type of nuclear power. In nuclear fission, the nuclei of atoms of radioactive material, e.g. uranium, are split by neutrons. A huge amount of heat energy is released, which can be used to power turbine generators.


Under normal circumstances, nuclear fission does not release harmful gases into the atmosphere. However, there is a low risk that an accident at a nuclear power plant can result in radioactive leaks. This can have devastating effects on the population and agriculture around the power plant. It can also spread into the drinking water or rain and last for many decades. Even with the few accidents that have unfortunately occurred, nuclear energy is still a safer method of power generation than fossil fuels.


:Fig. 39.12 Nuclear fission Elements of Science 383


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