To produce 4,500 kwh of electricity, it takes 30,800lbs. of coal or 22,000lbs. of mineral oil, but only ____ lbs. of uranium.

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Multiple Choice

To produce 4,500 kwh of electricity, it takes 30,800lbs. of coal or 22,000lbs. of mineral oil, but only ____ lbs. of uranium.

Energy density differences: uranium releases far more energy per unit mass than fossil fuels, because nuclear fission taps into a tiny amount of matter to generate energy, while burning coal or oil relies on chemical reactions with much lower energy yield per pound. Because of that huge difference, the same electricity output can be achieved with a very small amount of uranium compared with tens of thousands of pounds of coal or mineral oil. That’s why a small mass of uranium best matches the required energy—all the other options would imply using too much or too little fuel to reach the same amount of electricity.

Energy density differences: uranium releases far more energy per unit mass than fossil fuels, because nuclear fission taps into a tiny amount of matter to generate energy, while burning coal or oil relies on chemical reactions with much lower energy yield per pound. Because of that huge difference, the same electricity output can be achieved with a very small amount of uranium compared with tens of thousands of pounds of coal or mineral oil. That’s why a small mass of uranium best matches the required energy—all the other options would imply using too much or too little fuel to reach the same amount of electricity.

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