Japan Earthquake Analysis and HW

Please click on the following link and read the analysis of the earthquake in Japan and the sequence of events that followed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8392733/Japan-earthquake-how-the-nuclear-crisis-unfolded.html

Use the information in the article, your notes on waves as well as your earlier reading in the physical science book to answer the following questions? This is a 25 point project grade that will likely need to be completed at home as well as in class. Use complete sentences to answer the questions. 20% of the grade will be deducted if you do not. This is due on Wednesday, March 23.

Questions:

1. When the earthquake occured, what prompted the shutdown of the the 15 nuclear power stations in Japan? What type of longitudinal waves are produced by earthquakes?
2. This earthquake also produced a tsunami. In what ways did this tsunami indirectly cause the reactors to overheat?
3. In your own words what caused the explosions in reactors 1,2, and 3. From your reading in the book, why do nuclear reactors need to generate heat?
4. Besides heat, what is the single most potentially harmful byproduct of nuclear power generation? What type of wave do you think is produced by this byproduct?
5. In your own words, briefly describe three things that are being done to control the overheating. Why would the best final solution possibly be encasing the reactors in metal or concrete?

For more reading on nuclear energy, please click on the following website:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm