Lab Assessment Unit 8.

Case studies: Chernobyl & Fukishima

1. Describe the cause of the Chernobyl meltdown.
2. What caused the meltdown of the Fukishima reactors?
3. Most meltdowns are the result of a build up of _____ which causes the ____ to rise
uncontrollably.
4. (True or False) Both sites still have areas that are permanently abandoned due to high
radiation levels.
Video- Modern Marvels
1. What type of device is used to collect solar energy and turn it in to electricity?
2. Name an early use for windmills.
3. What country gets most of its energy from geothermal resources?
4. Why is used vegetable oil best for making biodiesel?
5. Why are rivers no longer a good source of hydroelectric power?
6. What country has the oldest tidal energy sources?
Case Study- All Energy Use Has Consequences
1. What are the 2 largest oil spill accidents on record?
2. Why did the Exxon Valdez kill more wildlife?
3. What is the biggest risk associated with using coal for fuel?
4. Name 1 negative consequence associated with using/producing natural gas.
5. What is the #1 issue faced by nuclear power plants?
Lab – ACT Practice
1. What is the definition of thermal conductivity?
2. In Study 1 as the thermal conductivity of the rocks increases, what happens to the rock
temperatures?
3. If welded tuff rock was tested, what would the temperatures be?
4. Which set up would test the relationship between the heat generated by the spent fuel
and the mass of the spent fuel?
a. Use concrete canisters with 0.4 metric tons of SF
b. Use twice as much of each rock type
c. Use stainless steel canisters with 0.8 metric tons of SF
Lab – Comparing Energy Usage – Show your work.
Scenario 1
 1. How much would it cost to run 4 lamps?
2. What are the total kWh for running all 3 devices as given?
Scenario 2
3. How much money would be saved by using the Energy Star TV for 2 years?
Scenario 3
4. How much per year would using natural gas save the homeowners?

Lab – Half Life Practice

1. For Radon-222 how many half life cycles did the sample go through?
2. For Carbon-14 how much time would pass if the sample went through 5 half live cycles?
3. For Iodine-137 how much of the original sample would be left after 3 half life cycles?
4. What was the approximate half-life of the sample in the graph?