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Encyclopedianuclear energynuclear energy, the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom and released through fission, fusion, or radioactivity. In these processes a small amount of mass is converted to energy according to the relationship E = mc2, where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light (see relativity). The most pressing problems concerning nuclear energy are the possibility of an accident at a nuclear reactor or fuel plant, such as those which occurred at Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), and Takaimura, Japan (1999), and the potential threat to the continued existence of the human race posed by nuclear weapons (see disarmament, nuclear). Sections in this article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. More on nuclear energy from Infoplease:
- nuclear energy: meaning and definitions - nuclear energy: Definition and Pronunciation
- NUCLEAR ENERGY - The energy that makes the stars shine and produces the heat inside a nuclear reactor is nuclear energy. It is produced by the strong force that holds
- NUCLEAR ENERGY - Atoms are small but can release lots of energy. When an unstable atom changes into a more stable one, it gives off radioactivity. It also gives off so
- nuclear energy: Bibliography - Bibliography See H. Foreman, ed., Nuclear Power and the Public (1970); R. C. Lewis, Nuclear Power ...
- nuclear energy: Nuclear Reactions - Nuclear Reactions The release of nuclear energy is associated with changes from less stable to more ...
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