Question

Describe how the potential energy of uranium is converted into electrical energy in a nuclear power plant.

Short answer

When uranium is utilized in a fission reactor, it produces thermal energy, which is then used to boil water and create steam. The turbine then transforms the steam into energy.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear chemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies radioactivity, nuclear processes, and atomic nuclei alterations such as nuclear transmutation and nuclear characteristics.

Describe how potential energy is converted to electrical energy

The fission process is an exothermic one. As a result, when uranium is used to power a fission reactor, the energy emitted is locked as thermal energy. This energy is utilized to create steam by boiling water. After that, the steam is released and utilized to power a turbine that converts steam into energy.

Therefore, when the uranium is used in the fission reactor, it then generates thermal energy to boil water to produce steam. The turbine then converts steam to electricity.