Year 10 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 27

Nuclear Energy, Benefits, Risks and Environmental Impacts

Challenge Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Identify and correct five errors about nuclear energy and its impacts.
Explain why each statement is a common misconception and write the correct version.
Construct a balanced, evidence-based evaluation of nuclear energy.

Go Deeper

Find the mistakes

A student wrote these five statements in their nuclear-energy revision notes

"Because nuclear power makes no CO₂ in the reactor, nuclear energy has no environmental impact at all."
"Nuclear waste becomes completely harmless after just a few years, so storage is easy."
"A nuclear power station works by burning uranium like a fuel, exactly the same as a coal station burns coal."
"Uranium mining has no effect on land or water because the uranium is buried underground."
"Nuclear energy is renewable because there will always be more uranium in the ground."

1. Identify the error in statement 1 and write a corrected version that refers to the whole life cycle.

Challenge 1 mark

2. Correct statement 2. Explain why some nuclear waste stays dangerous for so long, using the idea of half-life.

Challenge 1 mark

3. Correct statement 3. Explain how a reactor actually produces electricity, and how this differs from burning coal.

Challenge 1 mark

Go Deeper (continued)

4. Correct statement 4. Describe two ways uranium mining can affect land or water, and one way these impacts can be managed.

Challenge 2 marks

5. Correct statement 5. Explain why nuclear energy is usually classed as non-renewable, and name one truly renewable energy source for comparison.

Challenge 2 marks

Show What You Know

1. "Australia should build nuclear power stations to help cut greenhouse-gas emissions." Write a balanced evaluation that weighs both sides before reaching a justified conclusion. Use the claim-evidence-reasoning structure: state at least one benefit with evidence, at least one risk or environmental impact with evidence, then give your overall position and the reasoning behind it. Keep your tone neutral and base your judgement on evidence.

Challenge 4 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, explain why a fair evaluation of any energy source must weigh trade-offs rather than picking one perfect option.