The united states has used nuclear power for more than 60 years to produce reliable low carbon energy and to support national defense activities. Nuclear power the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity contributes nearly 20 percent of the electricity generated in america. This process nuclear fission generates heat that is directed to a cooling agent.
Nuclear power is generated by splitting atoms to release the energy held at the core or nucleus of those atoms. The iea chief also called for the world to look to nuclear energy to help ease the transition away from fossil fuels especially when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. In fact the power that holds the nucleus together is officially called the strong force nuclear energy can be used to create electricity but it must first.
There is a huge amount of energy in an atom s dense nucleus. Atoms are tiny units that make up all matter in the universe and energy is what holds the nucleus together. Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus or core of an atom.
In cases where the interacting nuclei belong to elements with low atomic numbers e g hydrogen atomic number 1 or its isotopes deuterium and tritium substantial amounts of energy are released the vast energy potential of nuclear fusion was first exploited in thermonuclear weapons or. Nuclear fusion is the process by which nuclear reactions between light elements form heavier elements. Ninety five nuclear reactors in 29 states generate nearly 20 percent of the nation s electricity all without carbon emissions because reactors use uranium not fossil fuels.
Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam turn a turbine and generate electricity. Nuclear energy is extraordinary. Presently the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium.
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions.
