Experiment 2a Class: Name: ( ) Date:

2a Radioactive decay—a dice analogy

Objective
To simulate radioactive decay by throwing dice.

Background information
Radioactive decay is a random process and can be simulated by a dice
analogy.

Apparatus
❏ 1 large box
❏ 100 dice

✐ This is an excellent Procedure

analogue of the
radioactive decay
1 Place 100 dice in a large box (Fig 2a-1).
process since it
illustrates clearly the 100 dice in a large box
random nature of
the decay and the
dependence of the decay
rate on the number of
‘undecayed’ dice.
A large number of dice
will give a more smooth
decay curve, but this
would not show the Fig 2a-1
random fluctuation of the
‘decay’.
2 Throw the dice and remove all those with side ‘1’ facing up. Count
the number of dice removed and the number of dice remaining.
Record the results in Table 2a-1.
✎ Results:

Number of
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
throws

Number of
0 11 18 17 8 9 9 4 4 2 2 1 1
dice removed

Number of
100 89 71 54 46 37 28 24 20 18 16 15 14
dice remaining
Table 2a-1

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Class: Name: ( ) Date: Experiment 2a

3 Repeat step 2 with the remaining dice until there are only a few dice
left in the box. Record the results after each throw in Table 2a-1 on
p.18.

4 Plot a graph of the number of dice remaining against the number of

throws in Figure 2a-2. This is the ‘decay’ curve of dice.

number of
dice remaining

100

80

60

40

20

0 2 4 6 8 10 12
number of throws
Fig 2a-2

5 Examine the ‘decay’ curve.

✐ The two values
obtained from the Ss’
graphs may be different.
It is good enough if they
are not too far away
from the theoretical
value 3.8.
✎ Not all points lie exactly on the curve. The fluctuations are due to
random
the ____________________ nature of dice throwing.
✎ Number of throws needed for 100 dice to ‘decay’ to 50 dice
3.4
= ____________________ throws
Number of throws needed for 50 dice to ‘decay’ to 25 dice
3.4
= ____________________ throws

New Physics at Work (Second Edition) © Oxford University Press 2007 19

 Experiment 2a Class: Name: ( ) Date:

Discussion
✎ What do the dice and the number of throws represent respectively to
simulate radioactive decay?
The dice represent radioactive nuclei. The number of throws represents time.

✎ Refer to the results obtained in step 5. Does the number of throws

needed for half of the ‘undecayed’ dice to ‘decay’ depend on the
number of ‘undecayed’ dice?
No.

random
1 Radioactive decay and dice throwing are ______________________
processes.
2 In a dice analogy to simulate radioactive decay, the dice
radioactive nuclei
represent ______________________________ and the number of
time
throws represents ______________________________.
decreases
3 The number of dice ‘decayed’ in each throw ___________________
as the number of ‘undecayed’ dice decreases.
4 The number of throws needed for half of the ‘undecayed’ dice
constant
to ‘decay’ is a ______________________ (constant/variable). It
does not depend
________________________________ (depends/does not depend)
on the number of ‘undecayed’ dice.

Further thinking
✎ If the experiment is repeated with 200 dice, how will the experimental
results be affected?
The experimental results will not be affected. The number of throws needed for half

of the ‘undecayed’ dice to ‘decay’ is still equal to the same constant since it does not

depend on the number of ‘undecayed’ dice.

20 New Physics at Work (Second Edition) © Oxford University Press 2007