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    Radioactivity

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    Desha roberts

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Radioactivity

    Uploaded by

    Desha roberts
    6 views2 pages

    Original Title

    Radioactivity (1)

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    6 views2 pages

    Radioactivity

    Uploaded by

    Desha roberts

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Desha Roberts Form 5S Marian

    TITLE: Radioactivity

    AIM: To demonstrate radioactive decay and to determine the half-life of the decay.

    APPARATUS/MATERIALS: 260 coins, tray, table top

    METHOD/PROCEDURE: 
    1. The coins were thoroughly shaken in the tray and thrown onto the tabletop.
    2. All the coins that showed heads were removed and the coins that were
    remaining were recorded.
    3. The remaining coins were placed into the tray and thoroughly shaken. Then
    they were thrown onto the table.
    4. Steps 2 and 3 were repeated.
    5. The experiment was repeated until very few coins were left.
    6. The results were tabulated.
    7. A graph of the number of coins remaining against the number of throws was
    plotted.

    OBSERVATION/RESULTS:
    TABLE SHOWING RESULTS FROM COIN TOSS

    Number of throws Number of coins remaining


    0 100
    1 49
    2 22
    3 11
    4 7
    5 3
    6 2
    7 0

    CALCULATION:
    Half life values:
    1st half- life= 1 throw
    2nd half- life= 1.85 throws
    3rd half- life= 2.8 throws
    Average half- life: 1+ 1.85+ 2.8/3 = 1.88 throws

    DISCUSSION:
    Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nucleus which changes to a
    different, more stable configuration and releases a nuclear emission. During radioactivity,
    Alpha, Beta and Gamma particles are emitted. Alpha particles is a high-speed Helium
    Nucleus. When a Radioisotope decays by Alpha Emission, its Mass Number decrease by 4
    Desha Roberts Form 5S Marian

    and its Atomic Number decreases by 2. A Beta Particle is a high-speed Electron moving close
    to the speed of light. When a Radioisotope decays by Beta Emission, a Neutron breaks up
    into a Proton and an Electron. The Electron is emitted as the Beta Particle while the Proton
    stays in the nucleus, the proton number increases by 1, the neutron number decreases by 1. A
    Gamma (γ) Particle is a high frequency Electromagnetic Wave. Therefore, it has no
    mass or charge. When a Radioisotope decays by Gamma Emission, it simply goes from a
    energised atom to a less energised atom. It is usually emitted along with alpha or beta and
    thus the Mass Number remains the same.
    Throwing coins simulated the decay process because one coin had a 50% probability
    due the two sides, when the coin landed on heads, the assumption that the nucleus has
    decayed was made. When the coin landed on tails however, the assumption that the nucleus
    has not yet decayed or remained the same was made.
    In radioactive decay, when the parent (unstable) nucleus undergoes alpha or beta
    decay, the daughter or resulting (stable) nucleus had a decreased mass. The mass lost was
    converted to kinetic energy in accordance with Einsteins equation E=Δmc2

    SOURCE OF ERROR:
     Experimenter having bent or leaned posture and intended shaking led too incorrect
    results
    PRECAUTION:
     The experimenter conducted the experiment upright and with no bias.
    CONCLUSION:
    In conclusion, as radioactive decay was displayed with coins, the average half-
    life was found to be 1.88 throws.

    REFLECTION:
    This experiment helped the experimenter increase keen observation and
    recording skills while visually displaying radioactive decay. After the experiment, graph
    plotting enabled a further understanding of radioactive decay and half- life and
    occurrences of the atom or particle of matter.

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