Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity using which principle?
- Photovoltaic effect
- Seebeck effect
- Thermionic emission
- Piezoelectric effect
Answer: Seebeck effect
RTGs use thermocouples exploiting the Seebeck effect to generate electricity from temperature difference between hot Pu-238 fuel and cold space environment.