Mines/Heavy Metals

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I was just wondering if there were perhaps anyone here interested in mining, especially uranium mining. One of the effects of mining is heavy metals, right? Uranium would be one of these metals? It is very weakly radioactive, is it? So if you have say an abandoned uranium mine, and the uranium were leaking out that would increase the radioactivity a bit? But is it possible for the heavy metals to be 'cleaned up'? Or if it's leaking, then basically you're screwed? I'm still not sure about the half life of the uranium. Does this mean that when it reaches the half life it starts to decrease in radioactivity?

Of course, I may have everything all mixed up. I can barely tell apart the fission/fussion bombs, and which explodes at high temperatures. All I know is that stars use fussion, with hydrogen and helium. Then I could be wrong on that, too.lolBut if anyone has some useful info/sites, I'd really appreciate if you could help me.

Let's see what I can address (I'm not really an expert, but I'll do what I can):

Mining can produce (or more often, bring to the surface) various toxic metals or other chemicals. The real danger is that these chemicals can leach into surface water or groundwater.

Uranium is (rather weakly) radioactive. The radiation is low enough, and the concentration in the crust low enough, that you shouldn't worry about the radiation unless you plan to spend time around enriched (more pure) uranium or waste products. Still, avoid contaminated water, and keep in mind that it is still a very toxic chemical. I'm not sure if it can be cleaned from groundwater, or what the costs would be.

The "half-life" is the time after which any given radioactive atom has a 50% chance of decomposing (emitting radiation, and turning into a less massive element - often another radioactive one),which means it is also the time after which about half of the radioactive material in any given (pure) sample should have decomposed. A shorter half-life means more radiation over a given period, but an essentially complete breakdown far sooner.

Fission devices function by "chain reactions" of large atoms (like uranium - atoms larger than iron tend to release energy when the bonds are broken) breaking apart, sending neutrons smashing into other atoms. They require a "critical mass" of sufficiently enriched material in one place in order to initiate. Fusion involves the combination of light elements (typically Hydrogen) into larger ones (Helium), releasing energy. It can only be done in a high-energy environment (say, the core of a star, or the center of a fission reaction...).

Fusion: Light elements combine to become more like Iron.
Fission: Heavy elements decay to become more like iron.

ruveyn

Regarding bombs a fissile material is used, just short of its critical mass..an even inward implosion? against all faces of the material is used to "set it critical" stuff happens and it gos boom. The shockwaves from this boom are reflected in many complicated ways back into another part of the device creating a density great enough for fision of hydrogen to take place, then a secondary bigger more efficient boom takes place. Shortly after the explosion many people with placcards appear as if from thin air and much hot air is expelled.

Simplification 101.

So it's like they have the same amount of radiation, but with a shorter half life, it is radioactive for a shorter time, but the radiation is higher? But does that mean they become something else when they split? So it's fussion bombs the ones that would require a high temperature to ignite and fission bombs which can probably be ignited at room temperature. So when it splits apart, like say part of it fly everywhere, they hit other atoms, causing them to break, too? I think I'm starting to grasp it a little. I think I'm starting to see how the story of Amadiro and Mandamus setting Earth radioactive must have come from. I must sound extremely dense. If only I could go back to chemistry class.*sigh*In my dreams.

Damn dont make me break the books out. Fission(FISS-ON) is to split appart, fusion(FU-SON) is to fuse together. Now i might have this wrong out of memory, uranium 235 becomes U 238, when left to lose neutrons, everything that is "radioactive" is losing particles alpha beta gamma, the fore is more damaging to bio and more easily stopped by shielding. Gamma is higher energy, imparting things with energy, effectivly heating it up(moving it about realy fast realy) which causes damage.

In fission(breaking appart) the parts you describe are the neutrons, bits of the middle of the atom breaking away and breaking other atoms up that do the same. When it happened of its own accord its called criticality(this happens at known masses of material depending on what material it is), and immense ammounts of radiation is released. Read up on "demon core" for more infomation on that.

For fusion, you need high pressure or heat, preferably both. In this process hydrogen makes helium and so on upto some itotope of iron i forget which. Atoms of higher density than this can only be created through supernova.

Sorry if i simplified this beyond what you were asking for.

I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to cause trouble. I was only curious.