As we use energy, we use resources. Eventually, resources such as coal and oil will run out.
What will we do then?
Through fusion, we can create electricity. Fusion is safe, but very tricky to do. In nuclear fusion, two isotopes such as deuterium and tritium will combine to create Helium-5. Helium is not an element that likes to hang on to extra neutrons, so it gets rid of it almost immediately. The discharge of helium's extra neutron creates a massive amount of energy.
In about a decade, the most complex machine ever built will be turned on. This massive machine is known as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER. We are going to bottle a star.
ITER will be the hottest thing on the Earth's surface. The many particles whizzing around inside ITER will be contained by a sort of "magnetic bottle". Of course, ITER doesn't come cheap. The whole machine will take billions of dollars to create. It will become the most expensive scientific instrument.
(both images came from
ITER - the way to new energy. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.iter.org/sci/whatisfusion)
L and S, nice work on this. The summary hits on all the main ideas. That being said, you used the phrase "create energy." You want to be sure you don't do this because according to the law of conservation of energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Remember, we harness the energy stored in the isotopes themselves.
ReplyDeleteAlso, use easybib to create a correctly formatted citation for the pictures.