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The Theme of Nuclear Chemistry in Chemistry Basics  Chemistry is
far from an esoteric study. Though it may seem that the behavior
of matter and atoms seems far removed from our everyday lives,
nothing could be further from the truth. Here are just a few
examples of how chemistry is making the news.  Nuclear chemistry
is a hot (no pun intended), controversial topic. Some see our
understanding of nuclear chemistry as an opportunity to harness
tremendous amounts of energy, lessening dependence on current
sources of energy. It is also green in the sense that the
production of nuclear energy doesn't release the chemical
compounds at the heart of the global warming controversy.  Where
does nuclear energy come from? To harness nuclear energy,
uranium atoms are split. This process is known as nuclear
fission and the energy that is released from the breaking down
of uranium atoms is "captured" in the form of steam4. The steam
is then used to steam clean