Unit 3b: Nuclear Energy

Unit Learning Goals:

By the end of this section, students will….

• understand the atomic basis of nuclear radiation, and how it is created, how it is measured, and its effects on biological systems.

•  perform numerous experiments to measure ionizing radiation, to validate the properties of nuclear radiation using radioisotopes, and account for / explain its behavior in different circumstances.

•  investigate numerous applications of radioactive theories (WMD and Reactors), and use their understanding to explain the functioning of these devices.

OPICS

The Development of the Atom

• Bohr

• Rutherford

• Goldstein

• Chadwick

• Particles and Quarks

Decay Modes, Chains and Properties

• Particle Emission (Neutron, Proton, Alpha)

• Transmutation (Beta Particle Decay)

• Nuclear Rearrangement (Isomeric Transition)

ALARA (Radiation Safety)

Half Life

Nuclear Fission vs. Fusion

Nuclear Applications

• Nuclear Reactors