Curated OER
Radioactive Simulations
Young scholars simulate radioactive decay and nuclear power using an on line interactive web site. In this on line lesson plan, students monitor radioactive isotopes and record the activity of a particular element as the decay...
Virginia Department of Education
Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
Explain the importance of radioactive half-life as your high school biologists demonstrate the concept by performing a series of steps designed to simulate radioactive decay. Pupils use pennies to perform an experiment and gather data....
Curated OER
Teaching Radioactive Decay: Radioactive Half-life And Dating Techniques
Students generate a radioactive decay table for an imaginary element using a box filled with pinto beans and M&M's. They use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and use the graph to "age" several samples.
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
Young scholars describe how the mass of a radioactive isotope changes with time and the factors that affect the rate of radioactive decay. They write nuclear decay equations to represent natural transmutation. This activity is...
Curated OER
Math in Science-Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
In this radioactive decay and half-life worksheet, learners use given half-lifes to calculate the amount of time it will take for certain amounts of elements to decay. They also find the age of samples and determine how many grams of...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Nuclear Popcorn
Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...
PhET
Radioactive Dating Game
Uranium 235 has a half-life of over 700 million years and is the fuel used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Pupils see the half-lives and decay rates of Carbon-14 and Uranium-238. They also take measurements of these two...
Curated OER
Atomic Candy
Mmmmm! Radioactive "candium!" Nuclear physics or chemistry classes use M&M'S® to demonstrate the process of radioactive decay. Individuals pour out a bag of candies and record the number that fall M-side-up to represent the number of...
Curated OER
Rock of Ages
Students use a video, the Internet and hands-on activities to explore how to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on radioactive decay data.
Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
Curated OER
Get a Half Life!: Student Worksheet
Upper elementary or middle schoolers will explore non-linear functions, graphing, and the curve of best fit through real-life data collection and trial analysis. They explore the concept of half-life and radioactive decay using M&Ms,...
Discovery Education
Submarines and Aircraft Carriers: The Science of Nuclear Power
As physics masters view this presentation, they learn how nuclear power is used in submarines. They use Google Maps to plot a course through the ocean and calculate the time required for surfacing and traveling. They learn about fission,...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay Curve
Students gather and organize data. In this radioactive decay curve lesson, students gather data as they follow the provided procedures for rolling dice. Students chart their data and examine interval results.
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay
Students explore radioactive decay. Through various activities, students examine methods for permanent disposal of radioactive waste. After performing a random process experiment, students compare the results to radioactive decay. ...
Curated OER
Exponential Decay
Young scholars study exponential decay and its application to radiocarbon dating. In this exponential decay lesson, students use candy to model the time it takes for something to decay. Young scholars also graph the data they collect and...
Curated OER
The Nucleus-Radioactivity
In this nucleus and radioactivity worksheet, learners collect class data and the students represent radioactive atoms decaying. They plot their data and answer two questions about the results. They solve seven problems given the half...
Curated OER
What is the Relationship Between Radioactivity and Radon?
In this radon and radioactivity worksheet, students analyze the data of the isotopes of elements that occur in the decay series of uranium-238. Students answer 6 questions about the isotopes, their half-lives, their potential threat and...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay/Half Life
Learners demonstrate radioactive decay using candy corns. In this Physics instructional activity, students make predictions, collect data and form conclusions about patterns in radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Using Radioactive Decay To Determine Age
Learners explore the process of carbon dating fossils to determine their age. They simulate radioactive decay using pennies in a shoe box. Heads represents a decayed atom each time they shake the box. They use the data to calculate the...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay
Students generate a radioactive decay table for an imaginary element, use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and use the graph to "age" several samples.
Curated OER
Get a Half-Life Student Worksheet
Young scientists use a activity to help them perform a lab on the decay of a radioactive element. The activity serves as both a task guide and a lab sheet for pairs of learners. This activity requires a calculator and has excellent...
Curated OER
Nuclear Chemistry Homework Problem Set
In this nuclear chemistry worksheet, students evaluate data from concentration experiments on radioactive iodine. They graph the data, determine radioactive decay and half life for the element.
Curated OER
A Phylogenetic Perspective for the Cladistically Challenged
Students use M&Ms to simulate radioactive decay of elements.
Curated OER
Get a Half-Life!: Student Worksheet
In this math/science worksheet, students will work in pairs to conduct an experiment based on a decay function which is often used to model radioactive decay. Students will shake M & M's in a cup to rub off the M and then record...