We use many electronics to power our day. Some use the regular AA or AAA batteries, but some items use nuclear power. Nuclear batteries to be specific. We will discuss what nuclear power/batteries are, what they are used for, and how they are important to our day to day lives.
Nuclear power, or atomic power, “…uses the energy released by splitting the atoms of certain elements” (Nuclear Power). It’s fairly new, considering the advances we have made with it since it’s development. “…developed in the 1940s, and during the Second World War to 1945 research initially focused on producing bombs which released great energy by splitting the atoms of particular isotopes of either uranium or plutonium” (Nuclear Power). It sounds like it came out of a science fiction novel or film, but it’s actually very useful. However, it can be dangerous.
Now, nuclear batteries are batteries that are” …produced from the energy of radioactive decay, either directly collecting beta particles or indirectly, by using the heat liberated to operate a thermojunction” (What is). In other words, they have low outputs and are long lasting. They run off of ongoing radioactive decay and are still in development to this day to provide a long-lasting battery that is not only safe, but clean and can deliver “almost endless energy” (Mithra & L.).
Many people want to develop nuclear batteries to make our cell phones last way longer than they are originally lasting for. My cell phone, on 100%, can usually last all day if I’m not using it a lot. If I am using it often, then I would have to charge it twice throughout the day. It can get annoying, so I can understand the want to have a battery that lasts a very long time. However, I don’t want to use something every day that is going to be dangerous to my health in the long run because of the radiation coming from it.
Not only are they wanted for cell phones, but they are wanted in the medical field even more because doctors and nurses want long lasting, clean, and safe power for their patients’ medical needs. Also, nuclear power is useful in the engineering field as well as aeronautics. So, it is important to have nuclear energy on hand in our lives. It can possibly safe someone’s life, help build something important or aid in the military. Pace-makers, underwater tech, and satellites are just three items that nuclear power operates.
The question remains on why aren’t we using nuclear power to power everything we use? If it’s long lasting and can be made to be safe and clean, then why aren’t we using it already? One of the reasons is because it is still in development. Put that aside, and another reason is because of the waste it gives off to make nuclear power. “The used up radioactive material is dangerous for thousands of years, so it is important to keep it away from living beings. We already have a lot of nuclear waste, and switching to all nuclear would build up waste much more rapidly” (UCSB).
Safety is another crucial factor when it comes down to using nuclear power. “Nuclear power plants are very expensive to build and if enough people are scared of them, it’s very difficult to get enough money to build one or find a location that people won’t mind” (UCSB). It’s up to nuclear engineers to figure out a better and safer way to make nuclear energy.
To recap, nuclear power is important in the medical fields, military (aeronautics), and in engineering. However, people want long lasting energy for their cell phones, as well as for many other day to day electronics. Unfortunately, there are issues that can come with using nuclear power for everything, like safety and the storing of waste. It’s power that we need and want, and can obtain, just not for a while until we can figure out a better way to make and store it.
References
Mithra, S., & D., L. (2017, May 17). What are Nuclear Batteries? Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-nuclear-batteries.htm#
Nuclear Power in the World Today. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx
UCSB Science Line. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1525
What is NUCLEAR BATTERY? definition of NUCLEAR BATTERY (Science Dictionary). (2013, September 14). Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://thesciencedictionary.org/nuclear-battery/
