eli5 If nuclear waste is radioactive, can’t we generate electricity from it emitting radioactive particles?
In: 0
To add to what others have already said:
In nuclear power plants we don’t use the radioactivity directly to generate energy. We use the fact that we can control the rate of radioactive decay in some elements.
While decaying the material gets hot and heats water. The steam of the boiling water is used to turn turbines.
Even “nuclear batteries” like the radioisotopeic thermal generators (RTGs) used in some spacecraft like Couriosity and Perseverance don’t use the radioactivity directly.
They use the heat of the decaying material. The temperature difference between inside and outside the battery creates electricity.
While the financial aspect of the first methode is debatable, the second method is just too inefficient to use on earth.
Latest Answers