NUCLEAR SCIENCE FOR HIGH AND

MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSES

ALBERT E. EVANS
South Texas Chapter
Health Physics Society
Why Nuclear Science and
Technology
for Your Students ?
-
 1. A Growing Industry
• Increasing application to Medicine and
Industry
• Over $400 Billion per year
• Over 4.5 Million Jobs
• A promising Career Field: A BS or
associate in Health Physics can start at
$ 60-80 K/year
 Interest in Nuclear Power being
Rekindled
• Need to reduce CO2 and other Air
Pollutants
• Need to Reduce Foreign Oil Purchasing
• Need to Replace Aging Nuclear and Fossil
Power plants
• Accelerating Cost of Fossil Fuel
• Record of Success of 103 Nuclear Plants
Producing 20% of Present US Power
Nuclear Applications are Hampered
by Public Fears
• Informed public Needed for Debate
• Excess Fear Exacerbates Effectiveness of
Nuclear Terror Threats
 FINALLY---
• A brief exposure to this technology should
Whet the Intellectual Appetites of Your
Students for Math, Science, and
Engineering.
 TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
• 1. Interactive Teaching Mode. Divide class into
small discussion groups. Present what you are
trying to put across as a question or problem.
(Physics Today 62, #10, p.41 (2009).)

• 2. Relate atomic/nuclear quantities (electron

charge, atomic mass unit, electron volt, MeV,
etc.) to macro units ( grams, coulombs, Joules,
meters, etc)
• 3. Demonstrations will always help.
 The Atom
Protons 11p
(1.007276 amu)

Neutrons 10n
Electrons (1.008665 amu)
(0.0005486 amu)
Neon-20 2010Ne
(19.992434 amu)
 Parts of the Atom
• Neutrons
– No charge, 1 AMU
• Protons
– +1 charge, 1 AMU
• Electrons
– -1 charge, 1/1860 AMU
• These parts make up all atoms
 Discussion Question
• 1. Diameter of the nucleus is ~10-13 cm.
• The outer electron orbit is ~10-8 cm
• Imagine that the nucleus is a grain of
sand 1 mm diameter. How big would the
electron orbit be? If the nucleus is on the
pitcher’s mound of a stadium, where would
the outer electron orbit be?
 Discussion Question

• 2. A 2010Ne atom weighs 19.992434 amu.

(atomic mass units)
• 10 protons weigh 10.07276 amu
10 neutrons weigh 10.08665 amu
10 electrons weigh 0.05486 amu
Weight of 20Ne parts=20.21427 amu

Why the difference ?

 Nomenclature
• X is the symbol for the element

A is the atomic mass

and designates the q is the charge on the
number of protons atom
and neutrons in the A q
atom
Z
XN
Z is the atomic N is the number of
number and neutrons in the atom
designates the
number of protons in
the atom
 Nomenclature
• The number of protons in a nucleus
determines which element it is
• Isotopes- nuclides that have the same
number of protons but a different number
of neutrons.
• Isotopes are different forms of the same
element: either stable or radioactive
 The Atom
Protons 11p
(1.007276 amu)

Neutrons 10n
Electrons (1.008665 amu)
(0.0005486 amu)
Neon-20 2010Ne
(19.992434 amu)
 Reactions
• Chemical reactions are those that occur
between the electrons in the atoms
• Nuclear reactions are those that take
place by changes in the nucleus of the
atom
 Decay
• Process that a nucleus goes through to release
energy
• Alpha: Emission of a He-4 nucleus
• Beta ray: Emission of a high-energy positive or
negative electron
• Gamma: Emission of an electromagnetic wave
from a nucleus
• X-rays: Radiation from orbital electrons or free
electrons being accelerated or decelerated.
 Radioactivity
• Radiation: Kinetic energy in transit, either
particulate or electromagnetic in nature
• Radioactivity: The characteristic of various
materials to undergo decay. The nucleus does
this to get back to a stable energy state
 Concept of Half-Life

Half-life: The time required

1200
for an amount of radioactive
1000 material to decrease by one-
800
half

Activity 600

400

200

0
New 1 Half-Life 2 Half-Lives 3 Half-Lives 4 Half-Lives
 Ionizing Vs. Non-Ionizing Radiation

• Ionizing Radiation: Radiation with energy

capable of dislodging electrons from orbit.
Examples are alpha rays, beta rays,
gamma rays, and X-rays
• Non- Ionizing Radiation: Low-energy
radiation incapable of dislodging electrons
from orbit. Examples are near ultraviolet,
visible, infrared, and radio waves.
 NUCLEAR DECAY PROCESSES
• Alpha Radiation: High-energy He-4 nuclei,
emitted mostly by isotopes of elements with
Z=84 or greater
• Beta Radiation: positive or negative electrons
• Gamma Rays: electromagnetic waves. No
change of nuclear mass or charge
• X Rays: Electromagnetic waves associated with
orbital electron rearrangement or electron
acceleration or deceleration
 Alpha Decay Process

Daughter Nucleus
Np-237
Th-234
Parent Nucleus

 
Ra-228
Rn-222 Am-241
U-238
Th-232 Alpha Particle
Ra-226 (Helium Nucleus)
(4.00147 amu)
 Beta (Negatron) Decay
Process

Daughter Nucleus 
 
Osmium-187
Calcium-40
Antineutrino

Parent Nucleus
Rhenium-187 
 
Potassium-40
Beta Particle
(electron)
 Beta (Positron) Decay Process

 
Daughter Nucleus
Boron-11 Neutrino
Carbon-13

 

+
-
Positron Particle
Parent Nucleus
(Positive electron)
Carbon-11
Nitrogen-13

Annihilation
Radiation
 Gamma Emission


 

Gamma Ray

Parent Nucleus Daughter Nucleus

Cesium-137 Barium-137m
Molybdenum-99 Technetium-99m
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Wavelength, centimeters

Energy, Electron Volts

 Decay Chains
• As we mentioned earlier there are several
ways a nucleus can decay
• Some radioactive atoms decay once and
then are stable. Others have two or three
steps.
• Some radionuclides have many steps
before they become stable
 Decay Chains
• Uranium-238
• Thorium-234
• U-234
• Th-230
• Ra-226
• Rn-222
• Po-218
• Bi-214
• Po-214
• Pb-210
• Bi-210
• Pb-206
 Fission
Xenon-144

1
0 n 1
0 n

Neutron
1
0 n

Uranium-235
Plutonium-239

Strontium-90
 Discussion Question
• Do the 14454Xe +9038Sr atoms + 2 neutrons
weigh more than, less than, or the same as
the 23592U atom + 1 neutron?

• Hints: (1). The reaction releases 185 MeV

of energy
(2) E=mc2
(3) 185 MeV= 0.2 amu=3.33x10-25 g.
= 3x10-11 joules
 Fusion
• Taking of two small elements and
combining them to make a single larger
one.
• Creates much more energy per unit mass
than fission
• Fusion powers the sun
 Fusion
•
 Radiation Shielding
Paper Lead Concrete

  Tin
Alpha


   Beta

Gamma and X-rays


 

1
n
0 Neutron
 Measurements of Radioactivity
• Activity of a given material source:
• 1 curie = 3.7x1010 disintegrations per sec.
• 1 millicurie =3.7x107 dps.
• 1 microcurie=3.7x104 dps.

• 1 becquerel= 1.0 disintegration per second

• (note: 1 curie = dacay rate of 1 g radium)
 Action of Radiation in Matter
• Ionization: removal 1 or more electrons
from an atom, leaving it with a net charge.
• Excitation: elevation of electrons to a
higher than normal energy state.
• Bremsstrahlung: X-rays emitted by
charged particles being slowed down by
passage through matter
Nuclear Power Plant
 Nuclear power
• The US gets about 20% of its electricity
from Nuclear power.
• Other countries get as much as 75%
• Nuclear power plants do not release
greenhouse gasses but there is waste to
be dealt with at the end of its lifetime
 Nuclear Power
• Good(?)
– Low fuel cost per kilowatt
– Plentiful supply of fuel,
– Emits no greenhouse gasses
• Bad(?)
– Transportation, storage of spent fuel unsettled
– Proliferation of nuclear weapons: Safeguards
needed
– Nuclear safety issues: strict control required
 Commercial Nuclear Power
Reactors in The United States

Map of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regions

 Medical Procedures

• X-rays
• Fluoroscopy
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Therapy
• Cancer treatment
 Radiocarbon dating
• Living things taking in radioactive and non
radioactive carbon as part of their daily cycles
• When the living things dies the radioactive
carbon does not get replaced and starts to
decay
• The change in the ratios of these two carbon
isotopes is determined by how long ago the
thing died
 Science Teachers Workshops

• 8 hr class
• Explains radiation
• How it is used commercially
• Natural radiation
• Biological effects
• Waste
• Careers
STC-HPS Science Teacher
Workshop Overview
 Session 1:
Fundamentals of Radiation

 Radiation/ Radioactivity Basics

 Interaction with Matter

 Radiation Detection

 Practical Exercise

 Summary
Exposure to Radiation in Modern
Life

 The Natural Radiation

Environment

 Man-Made Radiation Environment

 Radiation Exposure to People

 Summary
Cellular Biology & Radiation
Effects

 Cell Basics

 Identifying the Hazard of Radiation

 Ionizing Radiation Biological Effects

 Discussion of Relative Risk

 Summary
 Radioactive Waste
Management

 Definitions and Classifications

 Waste Generators and Industries

 Current Management and Disposal Options

 Waste Trends and Characteristics

 Questions and Possible Facilities in the Future

 Session 5:
Radiation Safety / Health Physics

 Definition of Health Physicist

 ALARA Principle

 The HP Basics - Time, Distance, & Shielding

 Provide Training

 Regulations to Protect
 FREE Stuff
You get:
• lesson plans
• work books
• videos
• working Geiger counter with speaker or
earphones
• LUNCH
• Continuing education credits
 CONCLUSION
• This course will be presented without
charge in your facility at a mutually
agreed-upon date (Saturdays are usually
the most easily agreed upon).
• The host organization will provide:
– Suitable classroom space
– Computer with projector and screen
– Lunch
 For Information or to Request a
Presentation
• Contact Albert E. Evans
1102 Springdale CT
Sugar Land, TX 77479
ph. (301) 937-9413
<albrtalev@aol.com>