Inquiry question: How can the energy of the atomic nucleus be harnessed?

Students:

● Analyse the spontaneous decay of unstable nuclei, and the properties of the alpha, beta and gamma radiation emitted (ACSPH028, ACSPH030)

● Examine the model of half-life in radioactive decay and make quantitative predictions about the activity or amount of a radioactive sample using the following relationships:

where ?_t = number of particles at time ?, ?₀ = number of particles present at ? = 0, ? = decay constant, ?_1/2 = time for half the radioactive amount to decay (ACSPH029)

● Model and explain the process of nuclear fission, including the concepts of controlled and uncontrolled chain reactions, and account for the release of energy in the process (ACSPH033, ACSPH034)

● Analyse relationships that represent conservation of mass-energy in spontaneous and artificial nuclear transmutations, including alpha decay, beta decay, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion (ACSPH032)

● Account for the release of energy in the process of nuclear fusion (ACSPH035, ACSPH036)

● Predict quantitatively the energy released in nuclear decays or transmutations, including nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, by applying: (ACSPH031, ACSPH035, ACSPH036)
– The law of conservation of energy
– Mass defect
– Binding energy
– Einstein’s mass–energy equivalence relationship ? = ??²

Extract from Physics Stage 6 Syllabus © 2017 NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)