ven off during nuclear fission to produce electricity. The fission reaction takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant, at the center of a nuclear reactor core. The core of the reactor contains the uranium fuel. The uranium fuel is formed into ceramic pellets. The pellets are about the size of your fingertip, but can produce the same amount of energy as 120 gallons of oil! These energy-rich pellets are stacked in 12-foot fuel rods. A bundle of fuel rods is called a fuel assembly. Nuclear fuel generates heat in a reactor just as coal or oil generator heat in a boiler. The heat is used to boil water into steam. The steam is then blasted against huge turbine blades. As they turn, they drive generators that make electricity. Afterword, the steam is changed back into water and cooled in a separate structure at the nuclear power plant called a cooling tower. In this way, the water can be used again and again.HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ?Nuclear energy costs a lot, compared to fossil fuel plants. Even though nuclear energy costs less, it takes more to set up a nuclear enrgy plant. So nuclear energy may cost less at a time, but at the beginning it costs more than fossil fuels.HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE EARTH ?One of the best kept secrets about nuclear power is its impact on the environment. There is very little. Making electricity causes no air pollution because fuel is not burned as it is in coal and oil-fired plants. Using nuclear energy may be one way to solve pollution problems linked to acid rain and the greenhouse effect. People are using more and more electricity. Some experts predict we will have to use nuclear energy to produce the amount of electricity people need at a cost they can afford. Whether or not we should use nuclear energy is a decision our society will have to make.Nuclear WasteAfter three or so years, the fuel rods are used up and must be replaced. Fuel that has been removed from the nuclear reactor is called spent fue...
