This exercise makes use of Skittles to display radioactive decay. The speed of decay relies on the isotope of the factor and is known as the half-life. Radioactive decay is a random course of.
To grasp the idea of a half-life, we will faux Skittles are radioactive atoms. Skittles that land with the S upwards are radioactive, and those who land with the S down are decayed and are now not radioactive.
Skittles Half-Life Demonstration
You will want
Skittles
Pen and Paper
Directions
Depend the entire variety of Skittles and document this within the first column of the desk.
Put the Skittles again within the bag and shake it for about 10 seconds. This represents a half-life. Pour the Skittles out and take away any that landed with the ‘S’ downwards. These have decayed.
Depend the variety of Skittles left and document the quantity within the desk. These are nonetheless radioactive. Put them again within the bag and shake for an additional ten seconds. This represents a second half-life.
Take away the Skittles with S down, and rely the quantity left.
Repeat till there are not any extra Skittles left.
Radiation and Exercise – Key factors
Radioactive sources comprise radioactive isotopes that launch radiation from the nuclei of their atoms.
The radioactivity of a supply decreases over time. This is usually a few hours or tens of millions of years, relying on the isotope.
Radioactivity is a random course of. You’ll be able to’t predict which unstable nuclei in a pattern of radioactive materials will decay subsequent.
In a pattern with a lot of nuclei, scientists can predict what number of will decay in a given time primarily based on the half-life of the supply materials.
The speed at which a supply decays is known as its exercise.
Exercise is measured in becquerels, Bq. 1 Bq is 1 decay per second.
Radioactive exercise is measured with a Geiger-Müller tube, which clicks each time it detects radiation.
Half-Life
Half-life is the typical time taken for the variety of radioactive nuclei of an isotope to halve.
What does a brief half-life imply?
A quick half-life means the exercise drops shortly because the nuclei are very unstable and decay quickly.
Radioactive sources with a brief half-life are harmful as they emit a excessive quantity of radiation originally however shortly change into protected.
What does a protracted half-life imply?
An extended half-life means radioactive exercise falls slowly. The supply releases small quantities of radiation over a protracted time frame.
Final Up to date on March 21, 2025 by Emma Vanstone
