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Science of Nuclear – Starter Pack

Summary

 This nuclear starter pack combines a vocabulary list with a quiz to reinforce key concepts from the video. The quiz assesses students’ understanding of nuclear fission, energy density, and the challenges of nuclear power. The vocabulary list defines essential terms like uranium, chain reaction, spent fuel, and breeder reactor, helping students with comprehension and mastering key terminology.

Bell Ringer

Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.










Vocabulary

Instructions: Watch the Science of Nuclear video and listen for the vocabulary words.

WordDefinitionExample
Uraniumnoun; a heavy, radioactive metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors because it can release a lot of energy when its atoms are split.“Here we have our solar system models again representing atoms, but this time of uranium.”
Nucleusnoun; the center of an atom, where most of its mass is found“To unleash the energy, we shatter the nucleus.”
Neutronsnoun; an uncharged elementary particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton“This tiny but very powerful explosion releases neutrons . . . that collide with another nucleus . . .”
Chain Reactionnoun phrase; a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes causes additional reactions“This chain reaction makes the uranium extremely hot, which heats the water around it . . .”
Turbinenoun; a machine with blades that spin when moved by steam, water, or air to create mechanical energy“ . . . creating steam which turns a turbine and turns the generator.”
Generatornoun; a machine that turns mechanical energy into electricity“ . . . creating steam, which turns a turbine and turns the generator.”
Megajoulenoun; a unit for measuring energy, equivalent to 1,000,000 Joules“[Wood] has an energy density of 16 megajoules per kilogram . . .”
Nuclear Reactornoun phrase; a machine where controlled nuclear reactions take place to produce energy“One nuclear reactor could power an entire city.”
Full Capacitynoun phrase; the highest or maximum level at which something can operate or perform“They can run at full capacity, always on, for a year-and-a-half, on just one load of fuel . . .”
Spent Fuelnoun phrase; nuclear fuel that has been used and is no longer efficient in a reactor“We’ll start with spent fuel, also called nuclear waste.”
Dry Casknoun phrase; large containers used to safely store used radioactive fuel“ . . . [we] store [spent fuel] for decades at the reactor site in large metal and concrete containers called dry casks.”
Radioactivitynoun; the process by which unstable atoms release energy in the form of particles or waves“[Spent fuel] still contains a huge amount of energy, heat, and radioactivity.”
Breeder Reactornoun phrase; a type of nuclear reactor that makes more fuel than it uses by turning non-fuel material into usable fuel“There are also proposed breeder reactors, which would burn completely through the fuel, leaving almost no waste at all.”
Proliferationnoun; the rapid spread of nuclear materials or technology that can be used to make weapons“Minimizing proliferation requires diplomacy, cooperation and the sharing of safer technologies . . .”
Thoriumnoun; a radioactive metallic element that is obtained especially from monazite and is usually associated with rare earths“Thorium and fusion reactors also produce much less waste, but they are decades away from commercial deployment.”
Fusionnoun; a nuclear reaction where two small atoms combine to form a larger atom, releasing energy“Thorium and fusion reactors also produce much less waste, but they are decades away from commercial deployment.”

Quiz

Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Science of Nuclear video.

Q1. What starts the chain reaction in a nuclear reactor?

  1. steam spinning a turbine
  2. cooling the uranium with water
  3. shattering the nucleus of a uranium atom
  4. burning fossil fuels

Q2. What makes nuclear power different from most other energy sources?

  1. It’s cheaper to build.
  2. It runs on solar power. 
  3. It has extremely high energy density.
  4. It is not affected by weather.

Q3. What does the steam in a nuclear plant do?

  1. creates radiation
  2. spins the turbine
  3. cools the fuel rods
  4. stores electricity

Q4. In the video, each energy source is represented by a box proportional to its energy density. Why is there no box shown for uranium?

  1. Uranium’s energy is not measurable.
  2. Uranium is too dangerous to compare visually. 
  3. A uranium box would be too small to be seen. 
  4. A uranium box would be so large it wouldn’t fit on the board.

Q5. What is spent fuel? 

  1. fuel that has been burned completely
  2. fuel that is no longer useful in a reactor but is still radioactive
  3. fuel that powers a fusion reactor
  4. fuel that is stored in dry air tanks

Q6. What is one proposed benefit of breeder reactors?

  1. They use wind energy.
  2. They cool themselves naturally.
  3. They leave almost no waste.
  4. They run only on solar power.

Q7. What is the purpose of a containment building?

  1. to store spent fuel
  2. to house electrical equipment
  3. to hold the steam from the turbine
  4. to protect and contain the reactor in case of an accident

Q8. Future reactors are being designed to be “passively safe.” What does this mean?

  1. The reactors shut off after one year. 
  2. The reactors can’t be used to make weapons. 
  3. The reactors don’t use uranium.
  4. The reactors are designed so they cannot overheat on their own.

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