NUCLEAR CONCEPTS

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NUCLEAR CONCEPTS

• in
• EARTH SCIENCE
• PHYSICAL SCIENCE

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KENTUCKY CORE CONTENTfor
ASSESSMENTinHigh School Science
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BIG IDEA EARTH AND THE
UNIVERSE(Earth/Space Science)
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SC-HS-2.3.3

• Students will explain the origin of heavy
  elements in planetary objects (planets stars)

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SC-HS-2.3.4

• Students will understand that stars
• generate energy from nuclear fusion
• reactions that create successively
• heavier chemical elements.

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SC-HS-2.3.6

• Students will compare the limitations/
  benefits of various techniques for estimating
  geologic time (radioactive dating, observing rock
  sequences, and comparing fossils).

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BIG IDEA ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS
(Unifying Concepts)
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SC-HS-4.6.8

• Students will
• describe the connections between the functioning
  of the Earth system and its sources of energy
  (internal and external)
• predict consequences of changes to any component
  of the Earth system

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SC-HS-4.6.11

• Students will
• explain the difference between alpha and beta
  decay, fission, and fusion
• identify the relationship between nuclear
  reactions and energy.

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SC-HS-4.6.12

• Students will understand that the forces that
  hold the nucleus together, at nuclear distances,
  are usually stronger than the forces that would
  make it fly apart.

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• EARTH
• SCIENCE

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Lessons 1-2Absolute-Age Dating of Rocks

• (2.3.6 4.6.8)
• OBJECTIVES
• Explain several different methods used by
  scientists to determine absolute age of rocks.
• Define isotopes.
• Describe how objects are dated by the use of
  certain radioactive elements.
• Describe the evidence used to determine the age
  of the Earth.

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KEY TERMS

• decay rate
• half-life
• nuclear radiation
• radioactive decay
• radioisotopes
• radiometric dating

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WORKSHEETS

• Radioactive Decay
• Half-Life
• Absolute-Age Dating of Rocks
• Radioactive Dating

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LAB ACTIVITIES

• Measuring Background Radiation
• Simulating Half-Life
• Modeling C-14 Decay Curve

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OPEN RESPONSE QUESTIONS

• Radioactive Decay
• Radiometric Dating
• Carbon Dating

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A-V MATERIALS

• Videos A Look at Radiation and Managing
  Radiation (from National Safety Council)

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GOING FURTHER

• Obtain a radon test kit from the local health
  department and test your home for radon gas.

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• PHYSICAL
• SCIENCE

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Lesson 1Radioactive Elements (4.6.12)
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Objectives

• Describe Becquerels discovery of radiation.
• Define radioactivity.
• Define binding energy.
• Compare radioactive and stable isotopes.

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KEY TERMS

• binding energy
• radiation
• radioactivity
• radioisotopes

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WORKSHEETS

• Radioactivity

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LAB ACTIVITIES

• Making Radiation Photographs (from ANS)
• Measuring Background Radiation

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Lesson 2Radioactive Decay (4.6.11)
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Objectives

• Define radioactive decay.
• Describe alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
• Read and interpret graphs illustrating decay
  series.
• Interpret, write, and balance nuclear equations.
• Explain and apply the concept of half-life.

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KEY TERMS

• alpha particle
• beta particle
• gamma radiation
• decay series
• half-life
• radioactive decay

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WORKSHEETS

• Writing Nuclear Equations
• Decay Series of Uranuim-238
• Nuclear Decay
• Nuclear Equations
• Graphing Half-life

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LAB ACTIVITY

• Modeling Half-Life

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LESSON 3Harnessing the Nucleus (4.6.11)

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Objectives

• Describe the processes of nuclear fission and
  fusion.
• Trace the events in a nuclear chain reaction and
  explain the origin of the energy released.
• Explain how energy from fission is converted to
  electricity in a nuclear reactor.
• Describe the parts of a nuclear reactor.

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KEY TERMS

• Fission
• Fusion
• Nuclear chain reaction
• Core
• Moderator
• Control rods
• Heat exchanger

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WORKSHEETS

• Nuclear Chain Reaction
• Fission and Fusion
• Nuclear Reactor
• Harnessing the Nucleus
• Pressurized-Water Reactor Diagram (NRC website)
• Boiling-Water Reactor Diagram (NRC website)

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LAB ACTIVITY

• Modeling a Chain Reaction

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LESSON 4Detecting, Measuring, and Using
Radioactivity (4.6.11)
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Objective 1

• Describe the structure and use of the
• electroscope
• Geiger counter
• cloud chamber
• photographic film

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KEY TERMS

• electroscope
• Geiger counter
• cloud chamber
• radioisotope
• tracer

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The Gold Leaf Electroscope  

• When an electroscope is charged, the gold leaf
  sticks out, because the charges on the gold repel
  like charges on the metal rod.
• When a radioactive source comes near, the air is
  ionized, and starts to conduct electricity. This
  means that the charge can "leak" away, the
  electroscope discharges and the gold leaf falls.

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Geiger Counter

• This is actually a Geiger-Müller tube with some
  form of counter attached, which usually tells us
  the number of particles detected per minute
  ("counts per minute").
• GM tubes work using the ionizing effect of
  radioactivity.

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Cloud Chamber

• The chamber contains a supersaturated vapor which
  condenses into droplets when disturbed and
  ionized by the passage of a particle.
• The droplets form a trail in the chamber.

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Photographic Film

• In 1896, Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium
  compounds would darken a photographic plate, even
  if the plate were wrapped up so that no light
  could get in.
• The amount of fogging or darkening is
  determined by how much radiation strikes the
  film.

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Photographic Film

• Workers in the nuclear industry wear "film
  badges" which are then developed.
• This allows for the measurement of the dose that
  each worker has received.

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Objective 2

• Describe the use of radioisotopes in
• studying organisms
• diagnosing and treating disease
• sterilizing food
• monitoring industrial processes

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Radioactive Dating

• Animals and plants have a known proportion of
  carbon-14 in their tissues.
• When they die, the amount of C-14 goes down at a
  known rate.
• Since C-14 has a half-life of about 5700 years,
  the age of ancient organic materials can be found
  by measuring the amount of C-14 that is left.

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Radioactive Tracers

• Radioisotopes are frequently used as tracers
  whose pathways through the steps of chemical
  reactions may be traced.
• These may be used for medical purposes such as
  checking for blockages or circulatory problems.

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Cancer Treatments

• Because gamma rays can kill living cells, they
  are used to kill cancer cells without having to
  resort to difficult surgery.
• This is called radiation therapy and works
  because cancer cells cannot repair themselves
  when damaged as healthy cells can.

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Sterilizing

• Even after it has been packaged, gamma rays can
  be used to kill bacteria, mould and insects in
  food.
• This process prolongs the shelf-life of the food.
  
• Gamma rays are also used to sterilize hospital
  equipment, especially plastic syringes that would
  be damaged if heated

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Industrial Processes

• Radioisotopes may be used in industry to detect
  leaking pipes. To do this, a small amount is
  injected into the pipe. It is then detected with
  a GM counter above ground.  
• Checking welds a gamma source is placed on one
  side of the welded metal and a photographic film
  on the other side. Weak points or air bubbles
  will show up on the film, like an X-ray.

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WORKSHEETS

• Estimate Your Personal Radiation Dose
• Atomic Crossword (NRC website)
• Test Your Nuclear Knowledge Quiz (NRC website)

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LAB ACTIVITY

• Radiation and Shielding

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OPEN RESPONSE QUESTIONS

• Radioactive Decay
• Radioactive Dating
• Carbon Dating

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RESEARCH

• Nuclear Weapons
• Nuclear Power Plants

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MEDIA ITEMS

• Videos A Look at Radiation and Managing
  Radiation ( a free kit from The National Safety
  Council http//www.nsc.org/issues/radisafe.htm)
• Website of Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  http//www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.h
  tml (student activities)

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GOING FURTHER

• Obtain a radon test kit and test your home for
  the presence of radon gas.
• (These may be obtained free-of-charge from some
  local health departments.)

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GOING FURTHER

• Observe radiation flashes by looking at a
  Fiestaware plate through a magnifying glass in a
  totally dark room.
• (First allow a few minutes for your eyes to
  adjust to the darkness.)