Uranium and thorium extraction are the processes of mining and concentration. Extracting these resourcesīoth thorium and uranium need to be extracted from beneath the surface. Radiocarbon dating is popular in archaeology, as it helps identify the age of various man-made objects, tissues, etc. Carbon-14 is an element that naturally undergoes fission. In nuclear fission, a nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei and releases energy in the form of photons and neutrons.įission reactions are also used in radioactive dating techniques such as carbon-14 dating.
#Fusion vs fission power plant free#
Fission Neutron Energy Spectrumįission nuclear energy comes from a free neutron (a subatomic particle) colliding with an atom (a collection of subatomic particles). Additionally, nuclear ores are exhaustible resources. Moreover, the commissioning and decommissioning of nuclear facilities take a long time (up to 30 years!). However, nuclear power plants (fission) do generate radioactive waste, which must be carefully managed to prevent environmental contamination. This process also releases energy, but it has not yet been successfully harnessed for commercial use.īoth nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are environmentally friendly sources of energy, as they produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, involves joining two nuclei from two atoms, to form a larger nucleus into one atom.
'When hit by a neutron, the nucleus of an atom of uranium-235 splits into two smaller nuclei, for example a barium nucleus and a krypton nucleus and two or three neutrons.' 1 Interaction between Environment and Biota.The Biological Productivity Of the Ocean.