What is Nuclear Energy?

What is Nuclear Energy? 

Nuclear Energy Definition:

“Nuclear energy is the energy released during nuclear fusion, especially when used to generate electricity.” - Oxford University Dictionary 

Nuclear Energy Explained: 

Nuclear energy is the energy released when nuclear fission and Fusion takes place. 

The French called it "Centrale Nucléaire". 

Atoms: 

Each atom consists of: 

Protons (positively charged parts of an atom)

Neutrons (neutral parts of an atom)

 Electrons (negatively charged parts of an atom). 

The atoms consist of a nucleus (where the protons and neutrons are located) and space where electrons move around the atom. 

Fission: 

Fission is the process in which neutrons split apart an atom to release energy: 

What happens during fission:

#1: Thermal Neutrons (neutrons with about .04 electron volts of energy) would hit a radioactive element (an element that releases energy when a neutron hits it). when that happens, more neutrons and energy is generated.

Something to keep in mind: thermal neutrons are capable of causing fission in Uranium 235/238, Thorium, and other elements that are radioactive.

#2: During that process, Neutrons released from the nuclei of the atom (neutrons with about 1 MEV (Mega Electron Volt)) would hit another atom, which would, in turn, give off more neutrons and more energy.

this is called a chain reaction, and it was first discovered in Enrico Fermi's "Chicago Pile".

Something to keep in mind: the newly generated neutrons that have one MEV of power would be 500 times less likely to hit another atom than a thermal neutron.

Fusion: 

fusion is, unlike fission, the process in which neutrons hit atoms and the atoms and neutrons fuse.
the nuclei would have to be very heavy. when Fusion takes place, an significant amount of energy would be released (much more than fission)