Metal Plutonium Research Paper
Plutonium Essay I would like to work on the metal plutonium because the discovery of plutonium has a great impact on the world. Plutonium’s symbol is Pu and its atomic number is 94. This element has 150 neutrons and 94 protons and its standard atomic weigh is 244. Plutonium is located in the 7th period and it is a silvery white metal. One of its main uses is to act as the fuel of nuclear fission Plutonium does not exist naturally, although some say that small traces are found in the environment. So therefore, it is generally a man-made element. Plutonium was first discovered in a California university radiation laboratory by nuclear chemist and scientist Glenn T. Seaborg and his colleges. The first
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isotope of Plutonium found is Pu-238. An isotope of an element is basically different version of an element. The isotope number is the atomic mass of that particular version of the element. The number of neutrons determines different isotopes. For example Pu-244 have 94 protons with 150 neutrons; and Pu-239 have 94 protons with 145 neutrons.
Because of the discovery of plutonium is in 1940 and World War 2 is happening at that time, discovery of plutonium was kept as a secret. In order to produce plutonium, uranium atoms must absorb neurons and it will decay into plutonium. One example of neutron absorption is nuclear fission, which will be explained below. Back in the time when plutonium is discovered, the US had a scheme called the Manhattan project. They built facilities that are used to produce plutonium from uranium. They lower the fuel rod, which is basically containers containing uranium, and they release the neutrons and they starts to bombard the uranium. That 's one of the methods of plutonium production that is in use today still. Near the end of World War II, United states dropped 2 atomic bombs in Japan, one made from uranium and the other made from plutonium. The death toll was over 100,000 and there are even more that suffered from long-term diseases caused by the gamma radiation released. That 's when the world realized the destruction caused by uranium and plutonium, and they started to have restrictions for mining uranium and producing plutonium. An …show more content…
example is: In the 1997, there is a treaty between the US and the Russian to limit plutonium production and weponization along with disarming 2000 nuclear warheads by 2012. This is one of the treaties that marked the end of the cold war. Also, organizations nowadays such as the UN are monitoring production and mining of both uranium and plutonium since they are dangerous and can cause mass destruction in the wrong hands. As mentioned, one of the main uses of plutonium is to act as a fuel for the process of nuclear fission, and it is also one of the many issues plutonium caused. Nuclear fission is basically splitting an atom to generate heat. Plutonium, especially Pu-239, is a very good fuel for nuclear fission, as the ratio of neutrons and protons are not balanced, which means that it is unstable, and an unstable atom is easy to split. However, instability of an atom means that the atom is radioactive; it is one of the reasons why plutonium and nuclear fission are so dangerous. The process of nuclear fission starts when fuel rods containing the fuel, and in this case Pu-239, is lowered to a chamber inside the reactor. Then neutrons will be released and as the neutrons hit the nucleus of plutonium, and the unstable plutonium splits, releasing heat and radiation. Freed neutrons will start to hit other plutonium, and it a chain reaction. This could lead to a point where this reaction can’t be controlled. So graphite control rods are lowered to absorb neutrons and slow down/stop the nuclear fission. Most nuclear plants nowadays will use the heat generated to make water reach a boiling point and the steam will cause the turbine to spin, which generates electricity. However, even though that nuclear fission generates huge amounts of energy with little plutonium, the impacts on the environment and the destruction plutonium can bring is disastrous. After nuclear fission, the left over plutonium inside is radioactive, as well as the equipment and clothing that have contact with plutonium. Those are what we called nuclear waste, and they are either stored in underground storages or deep under the ocean. The half-life of Plutonium 239 is about 24 thousand years, which means it will be radioactive and dangerous for a long time. Not only that, imagine if nuclear waste leaked despite of the precautions. A large area of land will be radioactive, animals will die or get sick, or the ocean will be polluted. What’s more serious is, if the nuclear reactors have incidents, people close will die in a few minutes or maybe even seconds because of radiation leak. And people within a few kilometers will also be exposed to radiation and many would get serious skin burns, lung cancer and other deadly long-term sickness caused by gamma ray. One of the examples is the Chernobyl incident. In that case of nuclear meltdown, 300 victims are admitted into the hospital and about 30 died instantly. It was reported that traces of radiation even spread to as far as Europe. Now, Chernobyl is declared unsafe for at least two million years. Another issue caused by plutonium is the making of nuclear weapons. As mentioned, plutonium bombs are extremely lethal and many countries process such nuclear weaponry such as China and America for “defensive” use. The procession of nuclear weaponry is almost like a symbol of military power; so many of the strong nations have loads of nuke. Also, undeveloped and totalitarianism nations such as North Korea also have nuclear weapons. It is because nuclear weapons enable North Korea to negotiate with the US and South Korea” as well as attracting the social media’s attention. If the worst case scenario: Nuclear war happens, the whole world will be in ruins as we process enough explosive energy to kill everyone on earth 38 times. To conclude, Plutonium is a two edged sword.
It can be a useful tool and resource to generate mass or even renewable electricity; it can also be used as a weapon of mass destruction and without proper treatment, nobody can promise accidents like the Chernobyl incident would not happen again. The discovery of this metal provided many possibilities, and with plutonium, we are another step closer to achieve sustainable and unlimited energy. (Or the destruction of
earth.)
Bibliography
1. Colin, France. "What Is Half Life?" GCSE Physics. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
2. "Definition of Isotopes." Chemicool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
3. "How Uranium Ore Is Made into Nuclear Fuel." World Nuclear Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
4. "Plutonium Element Facts." Chemicool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
5. "Plutonium." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
6. "REAL PLUTONIUM (new)." YouTube. YouTube, 05 July 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
7. Levete, Sarah. Nuclear Power. Mankato, MN: Stargazer, 2007. Print.
10.Palmer, Joy. Radiation and Nuclear Energy. N.p.: Batsford, 1992. Print.
8. "Treaties and Agreements." NNSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
9. "Nuclear Power." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. .
isotope of Plutonium found is Pu-238. An isotope of an element is basically different version of an element. The isotope number is the atomic mass of that particular version of the element. The number of neutrons determines different isotopes. For example Pu-244 have 94 protons with 150 neutrons; and Pu-239 have 94 protons with 145 neutrons.
Because of the discovery of plutonium is in 1940 and World War 2 is happening at that time, discovery of plutonium was kept as a secret. In order to produce plutonium, uranium atoms must absorb neurons and it will decay into plutonium. One example of neutron absorption is nuclear fission, which will be explained below. Back in the time when plutonium is discovered, the US had a scheme called the Manhattan project. They built facilities that are used to produce plutonium from uranium. They lower the fuel rod, which is basically containers containing uranium, and they release the neutrons and they starts to bombard the uranium. That 's one of the methods of plutonium production that is in use today still. Near the end of World War II, United states dropped 2 atomic bombs in Japan, one made from uranium and the other made from plutonium. The death toll was over 100,000 and there are even more that suffered from long-term diseases caused by the gamma radiation released. That 's when the world realized the destruction caused by uranium and plutonium, and they started to have restrictions for mining uranium and producing plutonium. An …show more content…
example is: In the 1997, there is a treaty between the US and the Russian to limit plutonium production and weponization along with disarming 2000 nuclear warheads by 2012. This is one of the treaties that marked the end of the cold war. Also, organizations nowadays such as the UN are monitoring production and mining of both uranium and plutonium since they are dangerous and can cause mass destruction in the wrong hands. As mentioned, one of the main uses of plutonium is to act as a fuel for the process of nuclear fission, and it is also one of the many issues plutonium caused. Nuclear fission is basically splitting an atom to generate heat. Plutonium, especially Pu-239, is a very good fuel for nuclear fission, as the ratio of neutrons and protons are not balanced, which means that it is unstable, and an unstable atom is easy to split. However, instability of an atom means that the atom is radioactive; it is one of the reasons why plutonium and nuclear fission are so dangerous. The process of nuclear fission starts when fuel rods containing the fuel, and in this case Pu-239, is lowered to a chamber inside the reactor. Then neutrons will be released and as the neutrons hit the nucleus of plutonium, and the unstable plutonium splits, releasing heat and radiation. Freed neutrons will start to hit other plutonium, and it a chain reaction. This could lead to a point where this reaction can’t be controlled. So graphite control rods are lowered to absorb neutrons and slow down/stop the nuclear fission. Most nuclear plants nowadays will use the heat generated to make water reach a boiling point and the steam will cause the turbine to spin, which generates electricity. However, even though that nuclear fission generates huge amounts of energy with little plutonium, the impacts on the environment and the destruction plutonium can bring is disastrous. After nuclear fission, the left over plutonium inside is radioactive, as well as the equipment and clothing that have contact with plutonium. Those are what we called nuclear waste, and they are either stored in underground storages or deep under the ocean. The half-life of Plutonium 239 is about 24 thousand years, which means it will be radioactive and dangerous for a long time. Not only that, imagine if nuclear waste leaked despite of the precautions. A large area of land will be radioactive, animals will die or get sick, or the ocean will be polluted. What’s more serious is, if the nuclear reactors have incidents, people close will die in a few minutes or maybe even seconds because of radiation leak. And people within a few kilometers will also be exposed to radiation and many would get serious skin burns, lung cancer and other deadly long-term sickness caused by gamma ray. One of the examples is the Chernobyl incident. In that case of nuclear meltdown, 300 victims are admitted into the hospital and about 30 died instantly. It was reported that traces of radiation even spread to as far as Europe. Now, Chernobyl is declared unsafe for at least two million years. Another issue caused by plutonium is the making of nuclear weapons. As mentioned, plutonium bombs are extremely lethal and many countries process such nuclear weaponry such as China and America for “defensive” use. The procession of nuclear weaponry is almost like a symbol of military power; so many of the strong nations have loads of nuke. Also, undeveloped and totalitarianism nations such as North Korea also have nuclear weapons. It is because nuclear weapons enable North Korea to negotiate with the US and South Korea” as well as attracting the social media’s attention. If the worst case scenario: Nuclear war happens, the whole world will be in ruins as we process enough explosive energy to kill everyone on earth 38 times. To conclude, Plutonium is a two edged sword.
It can be a useful tool and resource to generate mass or even renewable electricity; it can also be used as a weapon of mass destruction and without proper treatment, nobody can promise accidents like the Chernobyl incident would not happen again. The discovery of this metal provided many possibilities, and with plutonium, we are another step closer to achieve sustainable and unlimited energy. (Or the destruction of
earth.)
Bibliography
1. Colin, France. "What Is Half Life?" GCSE Physics. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
2. "Definition of Isotopes." Chemicool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
3. "How Uranium Ore Is Made into Nuclear Fuel." World Nuclear Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
4. "Plutonium Element Facts." Chemicool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
5. "Plutonium." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
6. "REAL PLUTONIUM (new)." YouTube. YouTube, 05 July 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
7. Levete, Sarah. Nuclear Power. Mankato, MN: Stargazer, 2007. Print.
10.Palmer, Joy. Radiation and Nuclear Energy. N.p.: Batsford, 1992. Print.
8. "Treaties and Agreements." NNSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. .
9. "Nuclear Power." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. .