Essay On Atomic Battery

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Finding use in “spacecrafts, pacemakers, underwater systems, electric automobiles, and remote monitoring systems” (source 6), the atomic battery has existed for over a century and is growing to benefit our world. The atomic battery generates electricity from a nuclear reaction, utilizing the radioactive decay of specific elements. The atomic battery is certainly not meant for households or as a source of common battery use, but rather powerful equipment needing to run for long, extended periods. Atomic batteries are quite expensive, but can provide an immense amount of energy that will conduct over an extremely long life period. This paper will explain the basic functioning of an atomic battery, investigate a brief history of the atomic battery, and also examine one aspect of energy conversion within atomic batteries, thermal converters.
First, we will discuss the basic principles of how an atomic battery works. As previously mentioned, an atomic battery utilizes energy from a simple nuclear reaction to generate electricity. Nuclear reactions occur as a result of the natural decay of radioactive isotopes. “Isotopes are variations of a given element, differing in the number of neutrons in the nucleus while maintaining a consistent number of protons (source 24).” A good example of this is two carbon isotopes, carbon-12 and carbon-14. Both have six protons in the nucleus of their atoms, but carbon-14 has eight neutrons in its nucleus whereas carbon-12 has six neutrons in its nucleus. An isotope is considered radioactive when the nucleus begins spontaneously emitting subatomic particles, the most common of which are known as alpha, beta, and gamma particles. Describing these particles more becomes unnecessary, other than the fact t...

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...which moves a magnet back and forth through a coil of wire to generate electrical current in the wire. To prevent physical wear the piston does not actually touch the inside of the mechanism. This generator is mostly used in NASA projects.
The atomic battery has an impressive and energetic potential for the future. With numerous technologies to explore and develop further, there is great potential for the atomic battery. Drawbacks including high financial cost, academic demand, and exposure to radioactive materials may seem to inhibit development of atomic batteries, but in the reality of our energy demands this may be the next logical step. We may all but guarantee that society will experience continued and expanded use nuclear energy and atomic batteries to help meet our energy demands. With this, I hope that it will be utilized in a safe and sensible way.

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