Nuclear Energy To Radiant Energy: How to Convert, Examples And Facts

Radiant energy is the energy transmitted from a distant object without the motion of the mass.

Light composes of a photon that carries the energy and these photons are released by the nuclear of an atom. Let us discuss some of the facts on the conversion of nuclear energy to radiant energy.

How is nuclear energy converted to radiant energy?

Nuclear fission or fusion emits the energized photon in a reaction.

These photons transform the nuclear potential energy into the radiant energy on scattering or it is converted into some other form of energy to generate the radiant energy.

Let us discuss some of the nuclear energy to radiant energy conversion examples to understand the topic clearly.

Sunlight

The electromagnetic waves produced by the fusion of hydrogen atoms are emitted by the Sun.

These rays are received by the Earth and hence we get daylight. This is due to the fusion of the hydrogen nucleus to form the helium atom.

Uranium Light

Uranium atom is mainly found in isotope form because it is a highly unstable radioactive atom. It is weakly radioactive and the half-life of uranium isotopes is in a range of 1.6L to 4.5 billion years. The decay of uranium emits the energies particle and due to the transition of particles it emits light, and hence the uranium lights are used in spacecraft and survive for long.

Electricity

The nuclear fission reaction gives out a huge amount of energy which is used to generate electrical energy using a generator. This electrical energy is produced to transfer to the household uses thus utilizing radiant energy.

Nuclear Blast

Nuclear Pumped Laser

The lasers compose of fission fragments of uranium that create plasma with an inverse population of energy levels. This lasing component is enclosed in a tube present with a uranium-235 isotope and is subjected to a neutron flux in the core of the nuclear reactor.

Uranium Fuel

The heat energy generated from the nuclear power plant is released into the water body to generate steam. This steam is made incident on the turbine. The vapor pressure runs the turbine and mechanical energy thus produced is converted into electrical energy by using a generator.

Geothermal Energy

The energy is radiated from the Earth in the form of heat. The temperature increases down the Earth at every depth. The liquid under high temperature turns into a vapor state. This vapor pressure is used to turn a turbine and produce electrical energy.

Seismic Wave

Deep under the Earth, magma is formed under immense pressure and temperature conditions.

earthquake gbde5d3d3c 640 — **Destruction due to seismic activities; Image Credit: pixabay**

This magma consists of charged particles and there is the radioactivity of different elements. The energy generated is emitted in the form of seismic waves and heat.

Burning Wood

Upon burning wood, the carbon reacts with the oxygen in the air to produce carbon dioxide. The heat and light energy thus generated is radiated out.

Light Bulb

The incandescent light is given by the tungsten filament bulbs. As the electric current pass through the filament, the excitation of the charges emits the photons and they scatter in the surrounding area as they can traverse.

Neon Light

The gas of neon is kept at a low-pressure condition and at this pressure the atoms of neon acquire a lot of energy and become unstable. These atoms then release energy in the form of light by emitting the photons.

Nuclear Batteries

It consists of radioisotopes and generates electrical energy from the decay of the isotopes. This electrical energy is used for various purposes to generate radiant energy.

Emission of Infra-Red Radiation

Every object that absorbs the radiation from the Sun emits the energy in the form of waves of slightly longer wavelength reducing the frequency of radiation.

Seawater

The seawater contains a huge amount of uranium as compared to the quantity of it available in the landmass. Hence we often see the glittery particles in the seawater which is due to the radioactivity and emission of radiation from the uranium atom.

Nuclear Imaging Technology

This technology is used to scan the body organ and detect whether they are functioning properly or not.

PET Scanners

A radioactive isotope is used to detect the metabolic function of the body. A positron is emitted from the radioactive atom and captured on the screen that carries the information and details of the organ.

Chemotherapy

This is used in the case of cancerous cells. The radiations emitted from the radioactive substance are made incident on the cancerous cell that kills the hazardous cell.

Wristwatch

A small amount of radium is contained in some wristwatches that glow in dark.

X-ray

Radioactive material is used in a device that gives out the radiation of wavelength in the range of 0.01-10nm.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does energy become radiant?

The energy radiated in the form of a wave and heat is called radiant energy.

The energy is radiated by emitted photons from the far source point in the form of waves. The heat energy is also radiated at a distance as the heat is grasped by the surrounding air molecules.

How energy is acquired from nuclear?

The energy is released from the nuclear during fission or fusion.

To make the nuclei stable, the extra energy is released from the nuclei of an atom by releasing the photons or electrons and it is called nuclear energy.

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AKSHITA MAPARI

Hi, I’m Akshita Mapari. I have done M.Sc. in Physics. I have worked on projects like Numerical modeling of winds and waves during cyclone, Physics of toys and mechanized thrill machines in amusement park based on Classical Mechanics. I have pursued a course on Arduino and have accomplished some mini projects on Arduino UNO. I always like to explore new zones in the field of science. I personally believe that learning is more enthusiastic when learnt with creativity. Apart from this, I like to read, travel, strumming on guitar, identifying rocks and strata, photography and playing chess.