Topic > The history and use of nuclear energy

Energy is used in different ways and there are different types of energy. Nuclear energy has been studied for years, has complicated methods of producing energy, and has advantages and disadvantages. It is very valuable, because a small amount of uranium (common source of nuclear energy) can produce large amounts of energy. Nuclear power is also sustainable, according to Bernard L. Cohen. As long as there is sun, uranium could last a long time (Is nuclear energy renewable energy?). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Everything is made up of atoms and has a nucleus at the center surrounded by electrons. This nucleus could be released or joined together by processes called fission and fusion. Fission is the splitting of atoms into smaller atoms called fission products. To split an atom you need to hit it in the nucleus. The fission product would then hit another atom, causing a chain reaction. An example of this process is U-235 -> Ba-141 + kr- 92. Fusion is the combining of two atoms together to make the element heavier. This reaction releases more energy than fission while producing less radiation. An example of this process is H-2 + H-2 -> He-4 (Touran). Nuclear energy works through moving atoms and creates a large, uncontrollable force that cannot be controlled unless something controls the reaction. A working example is a nuclear bomb, the particles will move around a lot and create a huge amount of force that will cause it to explode. At the beginning of nuclear energy, in 1896, the French physicist Antoine-Henri Becquerel known as the "father of nuclear energy" discovered that uranium salt is produced by radiation from an unknown source, called radioactivity. He discovered this by carelessly leaving uranium salt on photographic plates, as a result the salt absorbed the sun's energy. In 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered polonium, whose activity was superior to that of uranium. In further research for Pierre and Marie Curie, Fredrick Juliot and Irene Curie worked on artificial uses of energy (Dr.PhysicsA). At the same time, Rutherford and Soddy discovered radioactive decay (alpha, beta, and gamma rays) that was emitted by radiation from uranium and other heavy elements. In 1938, fission was discovered in the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, and fusion was discovered in 1929 by Robert d'Escourt Atkinson and Friedrich George (Nuclear Reaction). The Manhattan Project was the first use of nuclear energy. In 1939 Albert Einstein advised American President Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb. He explained research on the nuclear chain that would release large amounts of energy. He reported to Roosevelt the need for a large quantity of uranium and accelerated the research because the Germans were also working on it. Between 1940 and 1941, Glen Seaborg discovered the man-made element called plutonium-239, which was used in the atomic bomb. On December 2, 1942, a group of European nuclear physicists, in collaboration with an Italian named Enrico Fermi, created the first nuclear chain reaction called the Chicago Pile (CP-1). It was called that because it was tested in the stands of the University of Chicago football stadium. A plutonium bomb located in the Alamorgodo desert was tested. After all the research and testing, the first nuclear bomb used for destruction was called “Little Boy” and contained two masses of U-235. On August 6, 1945, Little Boy was launched at Hiroshima. The second atomic bomb was called “Fatman” and was made of plutonium. This was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. After nuclear power in World War II, during the Marshal Plan in 1953, the.