Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in AustraliA
Activity 2
Uranium, nuclear energy and radioactivity: library research
Use information from the library to answer the following questions:
- Can the production of nuclear energy be linked with the development of nuclear weapons?
- Uranium ore is radioactive while it is in the ground, so why are people concerned about the effects of radiation from uranium mining?
Teachers notes
- Plutonium, produced as a waste product by nuclear reactors, can be used to fuel nuclear weapons.
- Mining the ore brings the radioactivity to the surface. The process of concentration increases the radiation per kilogram of material. The mining and transport of ore increases the area and number of people that could be exposed to radiation.
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Posted February 1997.
Posted February 1997.