Energy Week 2

Electricity generated from the nuclear energy contained in nuclear fuel

The emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei

A nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts, releasing additional neutrons and energy in the form of heat

A cylindrical tube tht encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor

A cylindrical device inserted between the fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb excess neutrons and slow or stop the fission reaction

a natural process where atoms give up energy and particles become stable; radioactive waste from a power plant has not yet become stable and, thus, can be harmful

The time it takes for one-half of the original radioactive parent atoms to decay

Nuclear fuel that can no longer produce enough heat to be useful in a power plant but continues to emit radioactivity

Biological (living) material that has mass

Woody material that has been heated in the absence of oxygen so that water and some volatile compounds are driven off

Solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. Also known as soot

A colorless, odorless gas that is formed during incomplete combustion of most materials

A by-product of combustion of any fuel in the atmosphere

A by-product of all combustion

liquid fuels and blending components produced from biomass (plant) feedstock, used primarily for transportation

Alcohol made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2

an alternative fuel that can be made from any fat, grease, or vegetable oil; can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modications; although biodiesel does not contain petroleum, it can be blended with diesel at any level or used in its pure form

A use of energy from the Sun that takes advantage of solar radiation without active technology

A use of technology that captures and stores the energy of sunlight with electrical equipment and devices

a device, usually made from silicon, which converts some of the energy from light (radiant energy) into electrical energy; another name for a solar cell

Electricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water

Energy that comes form the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon

A property of a building material that allows it to maintain heat or cold

Short for hydraulic fracturing, a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open existing cracks in rocks deep underground