Question 2 of 21

During the development of nuclear power, matter is _______.

... Energy and matter cannot be created nor destroyed, but matter can be transformed into energy.

Question 3 of 21

In a nuclear power plant, energy is generated through _________.

... Nuclear fission is used to obtain power. "Fission" means splitting; when atoms split, they release energy.

Question 4 of 21

During spontaneous fission, atoms decay and become _______.

... Atoms decay, turning into different atoms after spontaneous fission. For instance, a fermium atom can become a xenon and a palladium atom.

Question 5 of 21

During alpha radiation decay, what is thrown off as the atoms split?

... Alpha radiation throws off an alpha particle: two neutrons and two protons bound together.

Question 6 of 21

According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, in 2009, how much of the world's energy comes from nuclear power?

... Although it varies among countries, 14 percent of the world's energy is derived from atomic power. France and Lithuania draw more than 75 percent of their energy from nuclear plants, while in the U.S. it accounts for 20 percent of the electricity generated.

Question 7 of 21

In a power plant, what splits an atom during nuclear fission?

... A neutron hits the atom, splitting it and releasing heat, radiation and more neutrons. These neutrons hit more atoms, setting off a chain reaction of fission.

Question 8 of 21

In a nuclear power plant, the rate of fission is controlled by the _______.

... Control rods made of boron are able to absorb neutrons. They can be raised out of or lowered into the uranium, depending upon the amount of energy desired.

Question 9 of 21

Some elements are naturally radioactive because they are _______.

... Radioactive elements, such as uranium, radon, radium and polonium have unstable nuclei. They emit radiation when the atoms break apart in order to stabilize.

Question 10 of 21

When mined, what percentage of uranium can be extracted from the ore that is dug up?

... Much ore must be mined to extract uranium. Only one form of uranium is used in power plants (uranium-235), and only 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of this can be collected from 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of ore.

Question 11 of 21

Nuclear energy gets its name because it depends upon splitting an atom's ______.

... The center of an atom is the nucleus, where the neutrons and protons are based. The electrons orbit it. Fission occurs when the nucleus of the atom is split.

Question 12 of 21

One pound of enriched uranium has potential energy equal to how much gasoline?

... Incredible amounts of energy are released when uranium atoms split: one pound of uranium can equal one million gallons of gas.

Question 13 of 21

During World War II, a secret government project called the _______ project produced the first atomic bomb.

... In 1945, scientists in the Manhattan Project (Including Fermi, Feynman and Oppenheimer) developed the atomic bomb. Two were built and used later that year at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Question 14 of 21

Besides uranium, what other element can be used to fuel a nuclear power plant?

... Plutonium-239 can be created from Uranium-235 and used to fuel nuclear power plants.

Question 15 of 21

Radioactive elements take __________ to decay.

... Some elements, such as Lead-214, will be half-way through the decay process within seconds. Uranium-238, on the other hand, doesn't reach that point for 4.5 billion years.

Question 16 of 21

In a nuclear power plant, the energy released from fission is used to heat _______.

... Water is heated to form steam, which powers a turbine that turns a generator, producing power.

Question 17 of 21

Which of the following radioactive emissions is most dangerous to living bodies?

... Gamma rays are intense and must be stopped by lead. Alpha particles can be stopped by a sheet of paper; beta particles can't penetrate foil.

Question 18 of 21

How much radioactive waste is generated by a nuclear power plant each year?

... Each plant produces about 20 metric tons (22 tons) of waste annually, which is mixed with glass and stored to cool and decay.

Question 19 of 21

The United States imports the largest amount of uranium from _________.

... The United States obtains 41 percent of its uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Canadian and Australian imports amount to 37 percent.

Question 20 of 21

All elements that are radioactive have ________ in the periodic table of elements.

... All elements that have high atomic numbers -- 84 and above -- are radioactive.

Question 21 of 21

Radioactive emissions can cause _____.

... When radioactive emissions interact with atoms, they can interfere with an orbiting electron, forcing it off-course. This can lead to serious consequences, such as cell death, cancer and genetic mutations.

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