Advantages of Nuclear Power and Comparison with the Fossil Fuels Assignment

Advantages of Nuclear Power and Comparison with the Fossil Fuels - Assignment Example Fossils are the remains of the dead organisms buried in earth’s crust. When such bodies undergo changes like anaerobic decomposition through millions of years, the products formed are hydrocarbon compounds like coal, petroleum, natural gas. Such products are storehouses of chemical energy, which is released when they undergo combustion reactions. As such they are called as fossil fuels (Josepha Sherman, 2004). 3. Nature has borne the cost of production of fossil fuels and humans have to bear only the cost of extraction and processing it. As such fossil fuels are cheaper than the non-conventional forms of fuels like nuclear fuel. 4. The fossil fuel in solid form, coal, is the most widely used fuel in power generation as it is found abundantly in nature. Similarly the liquid and gas forms like petrol, natural gas are easily transportable through pipelines. The depleting reserves of fossil fuels and the monopoly of certain oil-producing countries in controlling its prices have compelled mankind to look for alternative sources of energy. A few of them are hydroelectric power, nuclear power, wind energy, solar energy, and geothermal power. Hereunder we will discuss two of them viz. hydroelectric power and nuclear power. It is the electricity obtained by water falling under gravity from higher to lower level. Huge generators  convert the potential energy of water stored in dams while falling down. The potential energy of the water stored in dams is converted into electrical energy. The water rotates the turbines placed in between. The rotating turbines, in turn, rotate the generators connected to it, producing electricity. Nuclear power is created by causing fission of unstable nuclei 235U. Such nuclei are bombarded by neutrons which cause the fission of such nuclei along with the release of a tremendous amount of heat energy and also neutrons. These liberated neutrons in turn cause fission of more nuclei and a chain reaction are set into motion producing more heat  energy.