Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy

Nuclear binding energy is the energy required to split a nucleus of an atom into its component parts. The component parts are neutrons and protons, which are collectively called nucleons. The binding energy of nuclei is always a positive number, since all nuclei require net energy to separate them into individual protons and neutrons.

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Nuclear energy

Biological half-life

Energy; Nuclear energy

The time required for a biological system, such as that of a human, to eliminate, by natural processes, half of the amount of a substance (such as a radioactive material) that has entered it.

Bioassay

Energy; Nuclear energy

The determination of kinds, quantities, or concentrations and, in some cases, locations of radioactive material in the human body, whether by direct measurement (in vivo counting) or by analysis and ...

Chemical recombination

Energy; Nuclear energy

Following an ionisation event, the positively and negatively charged ion pairs may or may not realign themselves to form the same chemical substance they formed before ionization. Thus, chemical ...

Charged particle

Energy; Nuclear energy

An ion. An elementary particle (part of an element) carrying a positive or negative electric charge.

Cask

Energy; Nuclear energy

A heavily shielded container used for the dry storage or shipment (or both) of radioactive materials such as spent nuclear fuel or other high-level radioactive waste. Casks are often made from lead, ...

Capacity factor

Energy; Nuclear energy

The ratio of the available capacity (the amount of electrical power actually produced by a generating unit) to the theoretical capacity (the amount of electrical power that could theoretically have ...

Capacity utilisation

Energy; Nuclear energy

A percentage representing the extent to which a generating unit fulfilled its capacity in generating electric power over a given time period. This percentage is defined as the margin between the ...