GCSE Questions: Energy Sources

Q23.

(a) Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background radiation.

Give one other man-made source of background radiation.

[1 mark]

(b) Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission to generate electricity.

Give the name of one nuclear fuel.

[1 mark]

Describe the process of nuclear fission inside a nuclear reactor.

[4 marks]

(e) A new type of power station is being developed that will generate electricity using nuclear fusion.

Explain how the process of nuclear fusion leads to the release of energy.

[2 marks]

Nuclear fusion power stations will produce radioactive waste.

This waste will have a much shorter half-life than the radioactive waste from a nuclear fission power station.

Explain the advantage of the radioactive waste having a shorter half-life.

[2 marks]

(Total 10 marks)