Chapter 4

Front 1

boiling water reactor (BWR)

Back 1

A type of fission reactor in which water surrounds the nuclear fuel core within the reactor

Front 2

Breeder reacting

Back 2

Creating nuclear fuel from a substance that is not fissionable.

Front 3

control rods

Back 3

Part of a fission reactor that sits between the fuel rods and absorb strav neutrons. When the control rods are retracted, the fission process begins to occur.

Front 4

Electron

Back 4

A negatively charged atomic particle

Front 5

Plasma

Back 5

Ionized gas with an equal number of positive and negative charges.

Front 6

Nuclear fusion

Back 6

The combining of two nuclei into a larger nucleus. The large nucleus weighs less than the two smaller nuclei that formed it. The result of this process yields a large energy release.

Front 7

Nuclear fission

Back 7

The process of splitting a larger atom to produce two smaller atoms and a tremendous amount of energy.

Front 8

Nucleus

Back 8

The center portion of an atom containing the protons and neutrons.

Front 9

Proton

Back 9

A positively charged atomic particle

Front 10

Neutron

Back 10

An uncharged atomic particle

Front 11

Radioactivity

Back 11

A property of some atoms, such as those of uranium decay, in which they give off atomic particles. The particles emitted are harmful to humans and other living things.

Front 12

Uranium 235 (U235)

Back 12

An element whose atoms can be split more easily than most others, making it suitable for refining into nuclear fuel

Front 13

Half-life

Back 13

The time it takes for half the atoms present in an unstable element to transform into a new element.

Front 14

Pressurized water
reactor (PWR)

Back 14

A
reactor that works
similarly to aboiling
water reactor
(BWR), except it
makes use of a heat
exchanger known
as a steam generator.
A PWR can operate
at higher pressures
and temperatures
than a BWR.
Unlike the BWR,
the steam generator
in a PWR allows
the turbine to
remain free of
radioactive
contamination.

Front 15

Primary loop

Back 15

The
part of a pressurized
water reactor
(PWR) in which
the water is heated.
It surrounds the
reactor core.

Front 16

Secondary loop:

Back 16

The part of a pressurized
water reactor
(PWR)in which
steam is created.

Front 17

Kyoto Protocol

Back 17

Thrgets setin1997
by countries wishing
to increase
capacity while
reducing carbon
dioxide (CO.)
emissions

Front 18

Nuclear Waste
Policy Act

Back 18

An acl
passed by
Congress lrl.1982
promising that the
federal government
is to take
nuclear waste from
the utilities for
permanent storage

Front 19

Nuclear Waste
Fund

Back 19

A
multibillion-dollar
fund used for the
development of a
permanent nuclear
waste disposal site

Front 20

Yucca Mountain
storage facility

Back 20

A
government owned
facility in
southern Nevada
that is a planned
site for permanent
storage of nuclear
waste. The waste
would be stored in
stable rock formations
deep within
the earth's surface.

Front 21

Shipping cask

Back 21

a container designed to ship spent fuel from one facility to another

Front 22

Three MiIe Islnnd
(TMI) accident:

Back 22

A nuclear disaster
occurring in7979
near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. The
Unit 2 reactor
reached excessir.ely
high temperatures
through a series of
faulty readings and
operator errors.
Eventually, a small
piece of the reactor
core melted, rendering
the reactor
unusable before the
situation was
brought under
control.

Front 23

Uranium 238
(U238):

Back 23

A type of
uranium that is a
nonfissionable element.
About 99%
of all uranium
mined is this type

Front 24

Plutonium 239
(P-239):

Back 24

A fissionable
fuel created
from uranium 238
(U238)by a breeder
reactor.

Front 25

Proliferation:

Back 25

The
use of by-products
of nuclear power
for the production
of nuclear
weaPons.

Front 26

lsotope

Back 26

One of
two or more atoms
with the same
number of protons
but with different
numbers of
neutrons.