Can nuclear power plants create black holes?
I’m doing a project in science and need to know: If someone were to create a nuclear power plant in central california, could it create a black hole? And if it could, what conditions would be needed to create it and how could it accidentally be created?
Any other information about the negative effects of nuclear power plants would be helpful. Also any sources you know of would be great!
July 30th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
No, nuclear power plants cannot create black holes. The Large Hadron Collider can – in fact, that’s one of the reasons they built it. Google for more.
One negative effect of nuclear power plants (assuming they don’t blow up) are the radioactive biproducts, such as spent uranium that needs to be safely stored for thousands of years.
July 30th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
(PhD physicist responds) Nuclear power plants cannot create black oles. YOu would have to increase the energy a trillionfold to do so.
July 30th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
No – nuclear fission releases relatively small levels of energy compared to what actually lies within atoms…it couldn’t be accidentally created at all (although the above post is correct in stating that the LHC is attempting to create one – but it will be so small and shortlived it will be harmless 🙂
Nuclear power plants WILL NOT BLOW UP! This is a very common misconception due to the atomic bomb. Power plants use a very IMPURE fuel – and that is necessary in order to SLOW the process down so that power can be generated at a usable rate. Nuclear bombs use a very PURE fuel (you may have heard of a different fuel called “weaponized uranium”). Only this pure fuel will explode.
A “Meltdown” is what can happen in nuclear reactors – which is when the core becomes too HOT and causes it’s container to “melt” (funny how those words are so similar :P). This is why nuclear plants must have a large water supply on hand – in the case the reactor melts down the plant is flooded to stop it. In the rare case that this safeguard fails nuclear waste (radioactive debris) can be released into the air and kill everything (except cockroaches, lol) that it touches in sufficient concentration.
Only one meltdown has ever gotten to this point (Chernobyl – three mile island’s meldown was contained…) so overall nuclear power is quite safe.
The only real problems with nuclear power plants are (A) The COST (they are far more expensive than traditional coal plants) and (B) The storage of nuclear waste.
Many fear that terrorists will get ahold of nuclear waste and make a “dirty bomb” – which just releases this waste into the atmosphere (just like in the meltdown scenario). Obviously there is a HUGE security risk.
Hope this helps 🙂