Energy density is the amount of energy stored within a fuel. The energy density also helps us to realize how much waste will be produced per unit of energy extracted. Nuclear fission reactions are those that harness the potential energy of a nucleus, which contains nearly all of the energy of an atom. The element uranium is particularly useful is nuclear fission. The isotopes U-235 and U-238 are used most often to extract nearly all of the energy from an atom. The waste energy from nuclear reactions isn’t released to our atmosphere like most energy conversion processes. Instead, all of the waste can be stored and kept underground where is won’t have any negative effects on our environment.
When looking at other more common energy sources we can place propane near the top for high energy density. The next highest energy density can be found in gasoline, followed by diesel fuel, biodiesel, and then coal. Coal still has a higher energy density than a 100-ft-high dam with water spilling over by about 30,000 times.
