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 Einstein’s
E=MC2.


Self-Sustaining Reaction


Enrico Fermi had same results in 1934 but didn’t 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