Why do we have e.g. nuclear waste, if mass can be converted to energy?

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My knowledge about school level physics is admittedly not that fleshed out, but we were told that it is possible to convert mass to energy. My google-fu has sadly left me for my question here 🙁

So why can’t we just take e.g. nuclear waste and convert it to energy? After that so is my understanding it wouldn’t simply exist as matter anymore and wouldn’t require to store dangerous trash if you can convert it all to energy.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Mass doesn’t really like being converted to energy. You have certain ways we can shave off a little bit to create energy – like burning wood. But wholesale destruction of an atom is incredibly difficult and requires enormous amounts of energy.

That being said, the French have some breeder reactors that use waste from their regular nuclear plants as fuel.

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