Nuclear - G08: Sciences Physics - Energy - WAB Learns at Western Academy of Beijing

Resources and links

Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Nuclear energy can be used to create electricity, but it must first be released from the atom.
Britannica School
Did You Know?
The worst nuclear accident in the United States happened in 1979 at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.

Navigating nuclear - energizing our world

Videos from discovery education
Nuclear Reimagined Virtual Field Trip
Nuclear energy - Gale
The term nuclear power, which describes any method of performing work that makes use of nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reactions, refers to both the uncontrolled release of nuclear energy, as in fission or fusion weapons, and to the controlled release of energy, as in nuclear power plants.

The state of nuclear energy

The future of nuclear
Growth in the world's population and economy, coupled with rapid urbanisation, will result in a substantial increase in energy demand over the coming years. The United Nations (UN) estimates that the world's population will grow from 7.6 billion in 2017 to 9.7 billion by 2050. The process of urbanisation – which currently adds a city the size of Shanghai to the world's urban population every four months or so – will result in approximately two-thirds of the world's people living in urban areas by 2050 (up from 55% in 2018). The challenge of meeting rapidly growing energy demand, whilst reducing harmful emissions of greenhouse gases, is considerable.

Data

Our world in Data - Nuclear Energy
As the world attempts to transition its energy systems away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon sources of energy, we have a range of energy options: renewable energy technologies such as hydropower, wind and solar, but also nuclear power. Nuclear energy and renewable technologies typically emit very little CO2 per unit of energy production, and are also much better than fossil fuels in limiting levels of local air pollution.
The Database on Nuclear Power Reactors
The Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), developed and maintained by the IAEA for over five decades, is a comprehensive database focusing on nuclear power plants worldwide. PRIS contains information on power reactors in operation, under construction, or those being decommissioned. All information and data items are collected by the IAEA via data providers nominated by Member States.

History

The Manhattan Project
Preserving and Interpreting the Manhattan Project
Dedicated to supporting the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and capturing the memories of the people who harnessed the energy of the atom.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE & HISTORY
An intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

Nuclear - pro and cons

Is nuclear power the answer to climate change?
The nuclear power industry and its governmental allies are spending huge amounts of money to promote atomic power as an “emissions-free” energy source. Their goal is to encourage the construction of new nuclear reactors worldwide and prevent the shutdown of dangerous old reactors that cannot compete economically with clean energy sources like wind and solar power.

Books - Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Energy by Kathleen G. Manatt
ISBN: 9781602790476
Publication Date: 2007-08-01
Covers the controversial topic of nuclear energy and its potential to provide vast amounts of power.
Nuclear energy by Raum, Elizabeth
ISBN: 9780431115672
Publication Date: 2008
Chernobyl by Nichol Bryan
ISBN: 0836855043
Publication Date: 2003-07-01
When nuclear power goes out of control, human life hangs in the balance. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, spreading a plume of poisonous radiation that drifted across the entire Northern Hemisphere. Learn the causes behind the environmental disaster resulting from the Chernobyl accident and what it taught us about nuclear power and our energy future. Book jacket.
Fukushima Disaster by Danielle Smith-Llera
ISBN: 9780756557461
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
A massive tsunami caused by the strongest earthquake to ever hit Japan triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl accident 25 years earlier. The monster waves that crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011 killed 15,000 people and caused nuclear reactor meltdowns that threatened the lives of thousands more. The waves receded long ago, but the devastating effects of the nuclear accident still linger.
Physics by Simon Basher (Illustrator); Dan Green
ISBN: 9780753462140
Publication Date: 2008-04-29
Basher Science: Physics, Why Matter Matters! created and illustrated by Simon Basher, Written by Dan Green: Imagine physics as a community full of wacky characters--the building blocks of the universe each with a unique personality. This book throws open the doors and welcomes you into their amazing world. From gravity to the theory of relativity, this unique book provides visual interpretations of complex concepts, designed to make learning physics easier and a whole lot more fun!

Research

The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World
The eighth in the MIT Energy Initiative’s Future of series, which aims to shed light on a range of complex and important issues involving energy and the environment. A central theme is understanding the role of technologies that might contribute at scale in meeting rapidly growing global energy demand in a carbon constrained world.
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G08: Sciences Physics - Energy: Nuclear

Resources and links

The state of nuclear energy

Data

History

Nuclear - pro and cons

Books - Nuclear Energy

Research