IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 7.2F Nuclear Power and Battery Storage Revision Notes (HL)

IB Environmental systems and societies Topic 7.2F Nuclear Power and Battery Storage Revision Notes (HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Nuclear Power: Low-Carbon but Non-Renewable

Nuclear is a major source of electricity and emits minimal greenhouse gases while running, so it is low-carbon.
It is also non-renewable, because it relies on finite uranium and plutonium that cannot be replenished on a human timescale.

Common Mistake

Low-carbon and renewable do not mean the same thing.
Nuclear is low-carbon but non-renewable, because uranium is finite.

How Nuclear Power Works

Nuclear power comes from fission: splitting the nuclei of heavy atoms like uranium-235 or plutonium-239 to release heat.

The Fission Process

Fuel rods are bombarded with neutrons, splitting atoms and releasing energy.
The energy heats water in the reactor core into steam.
The steam drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity.
The steam is cooled back into water and returned to the reactor to repeat the cycle.

Note

A given mass of nuclear fuel releases thousands of times more energy than the same mass of coal.
This means very little fuel is needed to generate a large amount of electricity.

Strengths of Nuclear Power

Low-carbon
1. Emits minimal greenhouse gases during operation, helping cut climate impact.
High energy density
1. A small amount of fuel produces a large amount of energy, so little mining and transport is needed.
Reliable baseload
1. Unlike solar or wind, it supplies steady power regardless of the weather.
Long-term fuel potential
1. Breeder reactors and extracting uranium from seawater could extend supply.

Example

France generates over 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, giving it a low-carbon grid.

Weaknesses of Nuclear Power

High construction cost

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Paywall

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Note

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Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Tip

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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Nuclear Power: Low-Carbon but Non-Renewable

Nuclear is a major source of electricity and emits minimal greenhouse gases while running, so it is low-carbon.
It is also non-renewable, because it relies on finite uranium and plutonium that cannot be replenished on a human timescale.

Common Mistake

Low-carbon and renewable do not mean the same thing.
Nuclear is low-carbon but non-renewable, because uranium is finite.

How Nuclear Power Works

Nuclear power comes from fission: splitting the nuclei of heavy atoms like uranium-235 or plutonium-239 to release heat.

The Fission Process

Fuel rods are bombarded with neutrons, splitting atoms and releasing energy.
The energy heats water in the reactor core into steam.
The steam drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity.
The steam is cooled back into water and returned to the reactor to repeat the cycle.

Note

A given mass of nuclear fuel releases thousands of times more energy than the same mass of coal.
This means very little fuel is needed to generate a large amount of electricity.

Strengths of Nuclear Power

Low-carbon
1. Emits minimal greenhouse gases during operation, helping cut climate impact.
High energy density
1. A small amount of fuel produces a large amount of energy, so little mining and transport is needed.
Reliable baseload
1. Unlike solar or wind, it supplies steady power regardless of the weather.
Long-term fuel potential
1. Breeder reactors and extracting uranium from seawater could extend supply.

Example

France generates over 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, giving it a low-carbon grid.

Weaknesses of Nuclear Power

High construction cost

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

IB Environmental systems and societies 7.2F Nuclear Power and Battery Storage Notes

Topic 1: Foundation 3 subtopics

Topic 2: Ecology5 subtopics

Topic 3: Conservation and biodiversity3 subtopics

Topic 4: Water4 subtopics

Topic 5: Land2 subtopics

Topic 6: Atmosphere and climate change4 subtopics

Topic 7: Natural resources3 subtopics

Topic 8: Human populations and urban systems3 subtopics

HL lenses 3 subtopics

Nuclear Power: Low-Carbon but Non-Renewable

How Nuclear Power Works

The Fission Process

Strengths of Nuclear Power

Weaknesses of Nuclear Power

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

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Nuclear Power: Low-Carbon but Non-Renewable

How Nuclear Power Works

The Fission Process

Strengths of Nuclear Power

Weaknesses of Nuclear Power

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account