Starter quiz
- What is a power station?
- A place where electricity is generated from various energy sources. ✓
- A building that stores electricity for future use.
- A facility used only to store and distribute natural gas.
- A station where power lines are maintained and repaired.
-
- On average, which type of power station generates most of the electricity in the UK?
- nuclear
- geothermal
- hydroelectric
- fossil fuel ✓
- biofuel
-
- Match each of the following parts of a fossil fuel power station to the correct function.
- furnace⇔burns fuels (coal, oil, natural gas, wood) to release energy ✓
- boiler⇔heats water, using heat from burning fossil fuels, to produce steam ✓
- turbine⇔the blades spin when high–pressure steam passes through it ✓
- generator⇔driven by the turbine and generates electricity ✓
- Sort the following stages of electricity generation in a fossil fuel power station into the correct order.
- 1⇔Fuel is burned in the furnace to generate heat.
- 2⇔Water is heated in the boiler to turn it into steam.
- 3⇔The steam turns the turbine, which drives the generator.
- 4⇔The generator converts motion into electricity.
- Which of the following are advantages of fossil fuel power stations?
- Fossil fuels are currently cheap and their power stations are reliable. ✓
- They release large amounts of CO₂, contributing to global warming.
- They can generate electricity at any time. ✓
- Fossil fuels are non–renewable and will eventually run out.
-
- Which of the following statements about geothermal power stations are correct?
- Geothermal power is only available where there is volcanic activity. ✓
- Geothermal stations produce virtually no greenhouse gases during operation. ✓
- Geothermal stations rely on burning fossil fuels for energy.
- Geothermal energy can be used anywhere, regardless of location.
-
Exit quiz
- What happens during nuclear fission in a nuclear power station?
- Two light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.
- A heavy nucleus splits into smaller nuclei, releasing energy. ✓
- Neutrons are absorbed, stopping the reaction.
- Electrons are removed from atoms, causing ionisation.
-
- What is a chain reaction in a nuclear power station?
- Electrons collide, causing continuous energy release.
- Fuel continuously burns, releasing heat and light.
- Light nuclei fuse together repeatedly.
- Neutrons released by fission cause further fission in nearby nuclei. ✓
-
- Which of these is a key similarity or difference between a nuclear and fossil–fuel power station?
- Both generate heat by burning fuels.
- Nuclear power stations require combustion to generate heat.
- Fossil–fuel stations release no emissions from burning fuels.
- Nuclear power stations use nuclear fission reactions to generate heat. ✓
-
- Match each of the following components of a nuclear power station to the correct functions.
- reactor core⇔where fission takes place ✓
- control rods⇔absorb neutrons to regulate the rate of the chain reaction ✓
- fuel rods⇔contain fissile material for the fission reaction ✓
- moderator⇔slows down neutrons to sustain the rate of the chain reaction ✓
- containment vessel⇔prevents radiation from escaping ✓
- heat exchanger⇔transfers heat from the reactor to a separate water circuit ✓
- Sort the following stages of electricity generation in a nuclear power station into the correct order.
- 1⇔Neutrons collide with uranium nuclei in the reactor core (in the fuel rods).
- 2⇔The fission of uranium nuclei generates heat.
- 3⇔Heat is transferred to water via the heat exchanger.
- 4⇔The water in the heat exchanger is converted into steam.
- 5⇔The steam turns the turbine, which drives the generator, generating electricity.
- What is the difference between the moderator and the control rod in terms of their effect on neutrons?
- The moderator slows neutrons, while the control rods absorb them. ✓
- The moderator absorbs neutrons, while the control rods slow them down.
- Both the moderator and control rods slow neutrons.
- Both the moderator and control rods absorb neutrons.
-
Worksheet
Loading worksheet ...
Presentation
Loading presentation ...
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The fission of uranium-235 produces two daughter nuclei, two or more neutrons and gamma radiation.
- In a nuclear power station, control rods absorb neutrons to control the rate at which U-235 fissions.
- In a nuclear power station, a moderator absorbs the energy from gamma radiation and heats up.
- Heating by the moderator, via a coolant, boils pure water turning it to steam.
- The expansion of pure water turning to steam creates a driving force that spins a turbine.
Common misconception
Nuclear power stations can explode in a similar way to nuclear bombs.
Explain how the fuel in power stations is not sufficiently concentrated to cause nuclear explosions, and the control rods stop them overheating which could cause a conventional explosion that releases contaminants (as happened at Chernobyl).
Keywords
Chain reaction - occurs when neutrons from nuclear fission go on to cause more fission events
Control rod - used to absorb neutrons in a reactor to reduce the rate of reaction
Moderator - used to slow neutrons in a reactor so that they can cause more fission
Turbine - rotated by high pressure steam in a power station
Electrical generator - produces a potential difference when rotated
+