Nuclear physics prac ideas

[nickykinz]

Our Year 12 physics class are doing Nuclear energy next term. Any ideas for pracs? We have never done any in the past for this topic but we have a new teacher who was asking for ideas. The only one I could think of was half-life using M&M's!

[RosalieM]

Well the M&Ms one IS a pretty good prac It was my first thought too... I think that's the only one we do as well.

[linotas]

What's the M&M half life prac? Sounds interesting

[Graham Kemp]

What's the M&M half life prac? Sounds interesting

Take a cup of radioactive M&Mium. Pour onto a sheet of paper/cloth. Sort and count the ones that land with M's face up (call them 'radioactive') and the ones which land with blank side face up ('safe'). Put the 'radioactive' M&Ms back into the cup, eat the 'safe' ones.

Repeat at regular intervals.

Plot the number of 'radioactive' M&Ms against sampling interval to determine the half-life of M&Mium.

[RosalieM]

Start with 100, tip them out, eat the Ms, count how many are left. Repeat and graph results. I think that's about it!

[linotas]

sounds great!!

[smiley]

Yes, and it shows that "half-lives" are not linear (necessarily).