Nuclear Chemistry

Activities

Have students calculate their annual radiation dose using the American Nuclear Society’s “Radiation Dose Chart.”
Use these “Radioactivity” (doc) notes and have students fill out the “Radioactive Deay Summary” (doc) and do this “Radioactivity” worksheet (doc).
Do this “Half-Life” worksheet.
Or do this “Patterns of Reactivity” crossword puzzle with answers.
Have your students do this “Radioactivity (Half-Life)” activity (pdf).
Show this PowerPoint presentation about “Nuclear Power Plants” (ppt) for the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Try this “Nuclear Chemistry” (doc) wordsearch with answers (doc).
Have students do Mr. Guch’s “Nuclear Chemistry Worksheet”(pdf) .
Show this Flash animation with audio of “Radioactive Decay.”
Do this “Nuclear” (pdf) crossword puzzle with answers.
The Teacher’s Domain (you must sign up for free) has these activities, “Everyday Radiation,” “Fusion: The Hydrogen Bomb,” “Nuclear Reaction: Fission,” and “Radon Radiation,” which all include videos.
The Teacher’s Domain also has this “Sources of Radiation” activity with a Flash Interactive showing where radiation in our environment is found.
Show this “Radioactivity” slide presentation.
Kathleen Gorsky of the NSTA Listserve provided this “Alpha/Beta Emissions Simulation” (doc).

Do “The Radioactive Decay of Pennium” (doc) lab, a half-life simulation using pennies.
The “Radioactive Decay of Candium” is another half-life simulation but uses candy that students can then eat.
The purpose of the”Alpha Please Leave Home” lab is to find the range of alpha particles and determine if the inverse square law applies.
In the “Penetrating Power” experiment, students demonstrate the interactions of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation with matter.
The purpose of the “Stop That Gamma” experiment is to find the range of gamma rays and determine if the inverse square law applies.
Try Patrick Gormley‘s online “Halflife of a Radioisotope” experiment.