Difference between Nuclear and solar energy?

Question

I really don't know too much about this stuff much but I know that Solar Energy has to do with the sun but what about Nuclear Energy?

Answer 1

Solar energy is a clean non polluting and renewable source of energy. It harnesses the suns energy using solar panels. Solar has many advantages over nuclear, safer, cleaner, cheaper, easy installation, can be mobile (ie. solar cars.)

Nuclear energy harnesses the energy from the decay of radioactive materials, usually uranium 235. Nuclear energy produces radioactive waste and is a non-renewable source of energy. There are concerns about safety and waste management.

Answer 2

Nuclear Energy

   Nuclear Energy is energy due to the splitting (fission) of the nuclei of atom(s). The conversion of nuclear mass to energy is consistent with the mass-energy equivalence formula ΔE = Δm.c², in which ΔE = energy release, Δm = mass defect, and c = the speed of light in a vacuum (a physical constant).

Nuclear energy is released by three exoenergetic (or exothermic) processes:

    * Radioactive decay, where a neutron or proton in the radioactive nucleus decays spontaneously by emitting either particles, electromagnetic radiation (gamma rays), neutrinos (or all of them)

    * Fusion, two atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus

    * Fission, the breaking of a heavy nucleus into two (or more rarely three) lighter nuclei

Solar Energy

   Solar energy is energy from the Sun in the form of radiated heat and light. It drives the climate and weather and supports life on Earth. Solar energy technologies make controlled use of this energy resource.

Solar power is a synonym of solar energy or refers specifically to the conversion of sunlight into electricity by photovoltaics, concentrating solar thermal devices or various experimental technologies.

In building design, thermal mass is used to conserve heat, and daylighting techniques optimize light. Solar water heaters heat swimming pools and provide domestic hot water. In agriculture, greenhouses grow specialty crops and photovoltaic-powered pumps bring water to grazing animals. Evaporation ponds find applications in the commercial and industrial sectors where they are used to harvest salt and clean waste streams of contaminants.

Answer 3

solar energy does not burn any fuel, or produce waste.

nuclear energy leaves waste behind that is extremely hard to get rid of.

Answer 4

Nuclear Energy is a much more complicated process, but the main difference between solar and Nuclear is that Solar is totally clean, it has no waste and it is totally renewable. Nuclear has extremely radioactive waste, is *technicly* clean, and is not remewable.

Answer 5

all of those were nice and clear.. but not as useful as possible..

we have the technology NOW to create nuclear power plants that are VERY small VERY clean compaired to other useable energy sources and VERY efficient..

HOWEVER.... there is a limited supply of uranium and other fissionable materials that can be used to create power plants and as the use goes up so will the price..

the radioactive by products from nuclear power are hard to deal with but as the technology has advanced we have come up with better ways of using the power to reduce this waste.

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solar power... although promising we do not have the current technology to fully utilize this power in an efficient manner.. the cost per KW hour is impractical as is the space required per KW hour.. we also need to insure that we don not in utilizing solar power start converting energy that would have been reflected off into space as electrical energy...

however as the technology increases the price and size per KW hour are both moving down RAPIDLY....

so in short... Nuclear is a GREAT stepping stone to get us into solar and other forms of energy.. it is by no means a long term solution but will hold us over until we can develop the techs involved in other forms.

Answer 6

Nuclear energy is used till now for peaceful and military purposes and solar energy, as I know, only for peaceful ones./may be there are researches on this as what would happen if there are constructed solar bombs?

Answer 7

One works (nuclear) the other doesn't (silly solar power scam).