Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: For more than nine decades scientists have tried to replicate the process that produces energy for the sun and stars-fusion. On Tuesday, researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California, USA, announced a milestone in this endeavour. They merged two nuclei to produce a heavier nucleus. Their reactor produced about 1.5 times more energy than what was used in the process. In all the earlier attempts to harness the power of fusion, the reactors used up more energy than what was produced. But scientists say that it will be at least two decades before the process pioneered in the California laboratory can be scaled up. Even then, in a world desperately searching for technologies that can power the developmental needs of nations adding to the GHG load, the break-through at NIF has generated excitement. Several countries are shifting to renewable energies to meet their international climate-related commitments. Yet, power generation currently is responsible for 25-30 percent of global GHG emissions. The inherently unstable nature of renewables means that countries find it very difficult to jettison fossil-fuel energy sources. Conventionally-produced nuclear energy-that uses fission technology-is relatively cleaner. But accidents at Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 have raised serious questions over the safety of fission-powedered plants.
For every 100 units of energy consumed in the process of fusion, the National Ignition Facility in California was able to produce how many units of energy?
Analyzing Energy Production at the National Ignition Facility (NIF)
The passage discusses a significant achievement at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California regarding the process of fusion, which is the energy source for the sun and stars. The core of the achievement highlighted is the energy balance of the fusion process conducted at NIF.
The question asks about the amount of energy produced by NIF for every 100 units of energy consumed in the fusion process, based on the information provided in the passage.
Understanding the Passage Statement on Energy
The crucial sentence in the passage that provides the necessary information is:
"Their reactor produced about 1.5 times more energy than what was used in the process."
This sentence directly compares the energy produced by the NIF reactor to the energy consumed.
Calculating Energy Produced Based on Consumption
Let's denote the energy consumed in the process as \(E_{consumed}\) and the energy produced as \(E_{produced}\).
According to the passage, the energy produced was approximately 1.5 times the energy consumed. This can be written as a mathematical relationship:
\(E_{produced} = 1.5 \times E_{consumed}\)
The question asks specifically what happens when 100 units of energy are consumed. So, we are given \(E_{consumed} = 100\) units.
Now, we can substitute this value into the relationship:
\(E_{produced} = 1.5 \times 100\) units
Carrying out the multiplication:
\(E_{produced} = 150\) units
Therefore, for every 100 units of energy consumed in the process of fusion at the National Ignition Facility, the reactor was able to produce approximately 150 units of energy.
| Quantity | Value (in units) | Basis (from passage) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Consumed | 100 | Given in the question |
| Energy Produced | 150 | 1.5 times the energy consumed |
This result indicates an energy gain, where the energy output from the fusion reaction itself exceeded the energy input used to start the reaction.
Conclusion on NIF Energy Output
Based on the information in the passage and the calculation derived from it, when 100 units of energy are consumed in the fusion process at the National Ignition Facility, 150 units of energy are produced.
Revision Table: Key Facts about NIF Fusion Energy
| Concept | Description / Value |
|---|---|
| Facility | National Ignition Facility (NIF) |
| Location | California, USA |
| Process Studied | Fusion (replicating energy source of sun/stars) |
| Achievement | Produced approximately 1.5 times more energy than used |
| Energy Consumed (example) | 100 units |
| Corresponding Energy Produced (example) | 150 units |
Additional Information: Fusion Energy Explained
Fusion is a nuclear process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. This is the process that powers stars like our sun.
- Contrast with Fission: Fusion is different from nuclear fission, which is used in current nuclear power plants. Fission involves splitting a heavy nucleus into lighter ones.
- Potential Benefits: Fusion energy has the potential to be a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source. The fuels (like isotopes of hydrogen) are abundant, and the process produces no long-lived radioactive waste like fission does.
- The Challenge: Replicating fusion on Earth is incredibly difficult because it requires extremely high temperatures (millions of degrees Celsius) and pressures to overcome the natural repulsion between positively charged nuclei.
- NIF's Approach: NIF uses powerful lasers to rapidly heat and compress a small target containing fusion fuel, aiming to create the conditions necessary for fusion ignition and energy gain. The milestone mentioned in the passage refers to achieving "net energy gain" where the fusion reaction itself releases more energy than the laser energy delivered to the target.
- Future Outlook: As the passage mentions, while achieving energy gain in the reaction is a major scientific breakthrough, scaling this up to a practical power plant that produces net energy for the grid is still decades away due to engineering and technological challenges.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
