Questions about nuclear power plants and the sun?

Questions; answer for both

Nuclear Power Plant (Not Fossil Fueled)

and Sun



What are the fuel sources?



How is the fuel used to produce/release energy?

What are the similarities in the way they produce energy?



Are there any health hazards associated with the way they produce energy?



Why is energy released when the nuclear reactions take place? Talk about this using your research on the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together.
Questions about nuclear power plants and the sun?
This can't be answered with a few words.

A nuclear power plant uses fission to get energy. Fission means, splitting. The sun uses fusion, which means sticking.

In a fission reactor the fuel is enriched uranium. The atoms have a large surplus of neutrons which makes it radioactive, neutrons are ejected from the atoms. The rector stimulates this emission under controlled conditions, a lot of heat is generated in the process, the heat is used to boil water and the steam drives electrical generators.

Our sun is a fusion furnace, hydrogen under great pressure and heat is fused into helium, in the process part of the hydrogen atoms that are fused are converted into energy in the form of radiation. E=MC2. There are no similarities in the two methods of production.

dangerous hazards to health are present in each case.