How do we use the atom to generate electricity?

1. Atomic
Science
Introductory
Physics/
Environmental
Science
Canadian
Academy
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

2. Atomic
Science
Unit
Ques?ons:
“?”
Enduring
Understandings:
• Nuclear
energy
can
be
used
to
generate
electricity
Areas
of
interac9on:
Human
Ingenuity
The
development
of
electrical
technologies
revolu6onised
culture
Environments
Can
we
maximise
efficiency
in
order
to
maximise
sustainability?
Criterion
Assessment
Tasks
C:
Unit
Test
E:
Half-­‐life
inves?ga?on
A
&
B:
One
World

3. Draw
an
Atom!
What
are
the
names,
sizes,
charges
and
posi?ons
of
the
components?
What
is
the
relevance
of
this
to
radioac?vity?

4. The
Ob-­‐Scertainer
How
can
we
really
know
what
we
cannot
see?
Science
is
a
process
of
observa?ons,
hypotheses
and
tes?ng.
1. Take
4
or
5
ob-­‐scertainers.
Play
a
bit.
Predict
the
shape
inside.
2. Test
your
hypothesis
with
careful
movements
and
observa?ons.
3. Draw
your
‘final’
structure.
Conclude.
Play,
predict,
draw
Modify,
conclude
Test
4. Have
an
ob-­‐scertainer
class
conference
and
come
up
consensus
on
the
best
structure
of
each
of
the
dishes
(there
are
12
in
total).

5. The
Ob-­‐Scertainer

6. Atomic
Terminology
Define
these
terms
and
then
arrange
them
into
a
mind-­‐map
or
diagram.
Atom
Nuclide
Nucleus
&
Nucleons
Atomic
Number
(Z)
Mass
Number
(A)
Neutrons
(N)
Isotope

7. Atomic
Terminology
Define
these
terms
and
then
arrange
them
into
a
mind-­‐map
or
diagram.
Atom:
‘un-­‐cu3able’
–
the
smallest
unit
of
an
element
Nuclide:
an
atom
specified
by
an
atomic
and
mass
number
Nucleus
&
Nucleons
–
protons
(+)
and
neutrons
(0)
in
a
nucleus
Atomic
Number
(Z)
–
number
of
protons
in
the
nucleus,
defines
the
element
atomZahl
Mass
Number
(A)
–
number
of
nucleons.
Defines
the
isotope.
Neutrons
(N)
=
mass
number
–
atomic
number
Isotope
=
atoms
of
the
same
element
with
different
mass
numbers.

8. Protons
vs
Neutrons
Work
through
the
periodic
table
and
plot
every
figh
element.
What
trends
and
pa=erns
can
you
iden?fy?
Can
you
suggest
a
reason
for
this?
Mass
Number
(A)
Mass
Number
(A)
12
Atomic
Number
(Z)
6
C
Neutrons
(N)
=
mass
number
–
atomic
number
Atomic
Number
(Z)
8
Grid
from
Desmos
the
online
graphical
calculator
h3ps://www.abe3ercalculator.com/c

9. Radioac9ve
Stability
Think
about
all
those
posi?vely-­‐charged
protons
next
to
each
other.
What
do
they
want
to
do?
What
happens
if
you
add
more
protons?
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

10. Radioac9ve
Stability
Think
about
all
those
posi?vely-­‐charged
protons
next
to
each
other.
What
do
they
want
to
do?
What
happens
if
you
add
more
protons?
This
repulsive
force
is
the
electromagne9c
force.
It
is
not
par?cularly
strong,
but
acts
over
a
large
distance.
So
how
does
the
nucleus
stay
together?
electromagne?c
force
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

11. Radioac9ve
Stability
Think
about
all
those
posi?vely-­‐charged
protons
next
to
each
other.
What
do
they
want
to
do?
What
happens
if
you
add
more
protons?
This
repulsive
force
is
the
electromagne9c
force.
It
is
not
par?cularly
strong,
but
acts
over
a
large
distance.
So
how
does
the
nucleus
stay
together?
electromagne?c
force
The
strong
force
acts
between
neutrons
and
protons.
It
s?cks
them
together
(using
gluons
–
yes,
really).
The
strong
force
is
strong,
but
acts
only
strong
force
over
a
?ny
distance.
As
the
size
of
the
atom
increases,
more
neutrons
are
required
to
keep
it
stable.
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

12. Radioac9ve
Decay
When
the
forces
inside
the
nucleus
are
unbalanced,
decay
occurs.
What
condi?ons
favour
these
different
forms
of
radioac?ve
decay?
h3p://phet.colorado.edu/en/simula?on/alpha-­‐decay
-­‐
-­‐
Gamma
decay
( )
is
high-­‐frequency
energy
which
accompanies
other
forms
of
decay.
h3p://phet.colorado.edu/en/simula?on/beta-­‐decay
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

13. Radioac9ve
Decay
Radioac?ve
decay
is
a
natural,
random
change
in
atomic
nuclei
that
goes
on
all
around
us.
Radioac?ve
materials
are
going
through
radioac?ve
decay.
In
this
group
task,
find
out
about
one
type
of
decay
and
explain
to
others.
Alpha
decay
symbol:
(
)
Beta-­‐
decay
symbol:
(
)
Gamma
Decay
symbol:
(
γ
)
Nucleus
is
too
large
and
Nucleus
has
too
many…
Nucleus
has
too
much
posi?ve.
energy
ager
α
or
β
decay.
___________
is
released
_________
and
_______
are
A
gamma
ray
is
released
from
the
nucleus.
released
from
the
nucleus.
from
the
nucleus.
The
alpha
par?cle
is
a
stable
The
beta-­‐par?cle
is
a
fast-­‐ The
gamma
ray
is
a
photon
___________
nucleus
(__
moving…
of
high-­‐frequency
energy.
protons
and
___
neutrons)
Diagram:
Diagram:
Penetra?ng
ability:
Penetra?ng
ability:
Penetra?ng
ability:
Will
pass
through
thin
lead.
Image
from:
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_decay#Gamma_ray_produc?on

14. Radia9on
Radioac?ve
decay
emits
radia?on
in
different
forms.
Radia?on
is
considered
harmful
if
it
is
ionizing.
This
means
it
interacts
with
electrons
in
living
things,
causing
them
to
become
ionised.
This
results
in
free
radical
forma?on,
and
lots
of
damage
to
cells
and
?ssues.
When
damage
is
caused
to
DNA,
this
can
lead
to
cancers.
Although
α
radia?on
is
easily
stopped,
it
may
be
dangerous
if
inhaled
or
ingested.
par?cles
energy
Penetra?on
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia?on

15. Decay
Equa9ons
Decay
(proton:
neutron
ra?o
too
high)
An
par?cle
(He)
is
always
lost.
Mass
number
decreases
by
4.
Atomic
number
decreases
by
2.
235 4 ?
92 U! 2 He + ? X 4
He
2
40 4 ?
19 K! 2 He + ? X
209 205 ?
84 Po ! 82 Pb + ? ?
Some
gamma
energy
is
released,
but
is
not
a
par6cle
(so
does
figure
in
our
equa6ons)
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

16. Decay
Equa9ons
-­‐
Decay
(too
many
neutrons)
-­‐
Decay
(too
many
neutrons)
A
neutron
decays
into:
Neutron
decays
into
proton.
• Proton
(remains
in
nucleus)
Electron
and
an?neutrino
released.
• -­‐
par?cle
(fast
electron)
• An?neutrino
Some
gamma
energy
is
released,
but
is
not
a
par6cle
(so
does
figure
in
our
equa6ons)
Alpha
decay
image
from
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_decay

17. Decay
Equa9ons
Decay
(proton:
neutron
ra?o
too
high)
-­‐
Decay
(too
many
neutrons)
An
par?cle
(He)
is
always
lost.
Neutron
decays
into
proton.
Electron
and
an?neutrino
released.
235 4 231
92 U! 2 He + 90 Th
40 4 36
19 K! 2 He + 17 Cl
209 205 4 plus
Decay
(too
many
protons)
84 Po ! 82 Pb + He 2 Proton
decays
into
neutron.
Posi?ve
electron
(positron)and
neutrino
released.

18. Radioac9ve
Decay
of
Uranium
238
It
takes
billions
of
years
and
many
cycles
of
decay
and
-­‐
decay
for
radioac9ve
238U
to
become
stable
206Pb.
Work
through
the
puzzle
on
the
sheet,
prac?cing
the
decay
equa?ons
and
proper
nota?on
of
the
isotopes
as
you
go.
If
you
finish:
Find
out
more
about
‘half
life’.
What
does
it
mean?

19. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
100
Green
beads
100
White
beads
Radioac?ve
green
beads
decay
into
white
beads.
This
process
is
random.
Record
the
start
?me.
Remove
4
greens
from
the
cup
and
put
in
‘discard’.
2.
replace
extra
Replace
with
white
4
daughter
beads.
daughters
Record
“4”
as
the
number
of
greens
removed.
Cover,
shake
and
select
4
at
random
again.
white
Count
and
record
the
greens.
Discard
and
replace.
1.
random
4
sample
green
Repeat
un?l
20
random
samples
have
been
taken.
Record
the
number
of
greens
each
?me.
discard
Record
the
finish
?me.
Total
?me/20
=
mean
?me
per
sample.
Record.
How
could
you
graph
these
data
Reset
the
simula9on
and
repeat,
and
use
them
to
calculate
the
half
this
9me
taking
8
beads
at
random
per
sample.
life
of
the
green
beads?

20. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
100
Green
beads
100
White
beads
Decreasing
Increasing
2.
replace
extra
daughters
white
1.
random
4
sample
green
discard
Total
6me
for
each
experiment
When
you
have
finished
the
sampling,
save
and
20
cycles
of
random
sampling
–
4
at
a
9me.
send
to
your
partner.
You’re
on
your
own
now.
Then:
Go
to
Tools
–
Protec6on
–Unprotect
Sheet
to
be
able
to
complete
the
rest
of
the
task.
Reset
the
simula9on
and
repeat,
this
9me
taking
8
beads
at
random
per
sample.

21. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
Plot
best-­‐fit
decay
curves
(no
need
for
the
increases).
Adjust
the
polynomial
order
so
the
curves
are
smooth
and
realis?c.
Remove
the
labels
for
the
curves
which
will
appear
in
this
legend.

22. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
Calcula9ng
Half
Life
For
each
curve,
find
as
many
‘half
intervals’
as
possible
(e.g.
100-­‐>50,
80-­‐>40,
60-­‐>30).
Take
a
mean
of
these
half
intervals.
This
is
an
es?mate
of
the
half-­‐life
of
the
isotope.
What
differences
do
you
find
between
the
4-­‐sample
and
the
8-­‐sample?
Which
es?mate
of
half
life
is
more
reliable?
Why?
Plot
best-­‐fit
decay
curves
(no
need
for
the
increases).
Adjust
the
polynomial
order
so
the
curves
are
smooth
and
realis?c.
Remove
the
labels
for
the
curves
which
will
appear
in
this
legend.

23. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
Plot
best-­‐fit
decay
curves
(no
need
for
the
increases).
Adjust
the
polynomial
order
so
the
curves
are
smooth
and
realis?c.
Remove
the
labels
for
the
curves
which
will
appear
in
this
legend.

24. Decay
Lab
Carry
out
this
inves6ga6on
to
learn
more
about
half-­‐lives.
Assessed
for
Criterion
E:
Processing
Data.
In
the
conclusion,
work
through
this
scenario.
Assume
that
in
the
4-­‐sample
test,
1
minute
represents
100
years.
For
the
material
to
be
considered
‘safe’,
it
needs
to
decay
to
1/16
of
its
original
amount.
Answer
the
following
ques9ons,
with
jus9fica9on.
• How
long
do
you
need
to
be
concerned
about
the
material?
• How
might
you
store
it
safely
for
that
long?

25. Decay
occurs
at
random
–
we
can’t
predict
when
an
individual
Half
Life
atoms
will
decay.
However,
we
can
predict
the
rate
at
which
large
quan??es
will
decay,
and
this
is
called
half-­‐life.
“The
radioac6ve
half-­‐life
for
a
given
radioisotope
is
the
6me
for
half
the
radioac6ve
nuclei
in
any
sample
to
undergo
radioac6ve
decay.”
Hyperphysics
(h=p://hyperphysics.phy-­‐astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/halfli.html)
Use
this
PhET
Lab
to
find
out
more
about
half
lives
of
13C
and
238U
and
how
they
can
be
used
to
es?mate
the
age
of
geological
materials.
Cool.
h3p://phet.colorado.edu/en/simula?on/radioac?ve-­‐da?ng-­‐game

26. Biological
Effects
of
Radia9on
Ionising
radia?on
can
damage
living
?ssues
by
causing
atoms
to
become
ions,
which
can
in
turn
become
damaging
free-­‐radicals.
Infographic
from:
h3p://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-­‐pacific/how-­‐
radia?on-­‐affects-­‐the-­‐body/ar?cle1942117/?from=1942081

27. Biological
Effects
of
Radia9on
Infographic
from:
h3p://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-­‐pacific/how-­‐
radia?on-­‐affects-­‐the-­‐body/ar?cle1942117/?from=1942081

28. Uses
of
Nuclear
Radia9on
Find
out
more
about
these
uses
of
radia?on:
• What
type
of
radia?on?
• How
is
it
used?
da?ng
Rad iocarbon
Sterilising
fo
od
&
medical
e
quipment
Radioac?ve
tracers
&
diagnosis
Radiotherapy:
cancer
treatment
Smoke
detec
tors

29. Some
Decays.
Which
are
α
and
which
are
β-­‐?
238 4 234 218 4 214
92 U! 2 He + 90Th 84 Po ! 2 He + 82 Pb
214 0 214
234
90 Th ! 0
"1 e+ 234
91 Pa +! 82 Pb ! "1 e+ 83 Bi +!
214 0 214
234
91 Pa ! 0
"1 e+ 234
92 U +! 83 Bi ! "1 e+ 84 Po +!
234 4 230 214 4 210
92 U! 2 He + 90Th 84 Po ! 2 He + 82 Pb
210 0 210
230
Th ! 4
He + 226
Ra 82 Pb ! "1 e+ 83 Bi +!
90 2 88
210 0 210
226 4 222 83 Bi ! "1 e+ 84 Po +!
88 Ra ! 2 He + 86 Rn
210 4 206
222 4 218 84 Po ! 2 He + 82 Pb
86 Rn ! 2 He + 84 Po
29

30. Which
is
the
correct
α
decay
equa?on?
Which
is
the
correct
β-­‐
decay
equa?on?
A.
B.
238 4 234 214 0 214
92 U! 2 He + 90 Th 82 Pb ! +1 e+ 83 Bi +!
C.
D.
234 0 234 214 1 213
91 Pa ! "1 e+ 92 U +! 84 Po ! H + 1 83 Bi
Which
product
is
correct?
A.
222 B.
222
87 Fr 86 Rn
226 4 ?
88 Ra ! 2 He + ? ? C.
225 223
D.
80 U 86 Rn
Which
product
is
correct?
A.
222 B.
222
234 0 ? 87 Fr 86 Rn
90 Th ! "1 e+ ? ? +!
C.
238 234
D.
92 U 91 Pa

31. Which
product
is
correct?
A.
17 B.
18
9 F 9 F
17 4 ?
8 O! 2 He + ? ? C.
13 D.
13
C
6 C
7
Which
product
is
correct?
A.
211 B.
210
210 0 ? 83 Bi 83 Bi
82 Pb ! "1 e + ? +!
?
C.
206 D.
214
80 Hg 84 Po
Which
product
is
correct?
A.
220 B.
210
84 Po 83 Bi
? 4 235
? ?! 2 He + U
92 C.
206 D.
239
80 Hg 94 Pu

32. Check
the
periodic
table.
Which
are
the
most
common
isotopes?
A.
14 B.
12 A.
211 B.
209
6 C 6 C 83 Bi 83 Bi
C.
12 C.
209
6 C D.
13
C
7 84 Bi D.
208
83 Bi
Which
nuclide
is
correct?
A.
137 B.
141
? 0 137 55 Cs 58 La
? ?! "1 e+ 56 Ba +!
C.
135 D.
131
55 Cs 53 Xe
Which
nuclide
is
correct?
A.
220 B.
236
84 Po 95 Am
? 4 237
? ?! 2 He + 93 Np C.
241 D.
233
95 Am 91 Pa

33. Where
does
our
energy
come
from?

34. Where
does
our
energy
come
from?
Nuclear
fusion
reac?ons
occur
in
the
core
of
the
Sun.
How
does
the
Sun’s
energy
give
us
the
energy
we
use
on
Earth?
1. Core
5.
Chromosphere
6.
Corona
2. Radia?ve
zone
7.
Sunspot
3. Convec?ve
zone
8.
Granules
4. Photosphere
9.
Prominence
Images
from:h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun

35. Nuclear
Fusion
is
how
the
Sun
generates
energy!
Iden?fy
these
nuclei.
What
happens
here?
What
are
the
products?
What
is
this?
What
nuclear
force
must
be
overcome
in
order
for
fusion
t
occur?
For
us
to
achieve
this
on
Earth
takes
massive
amounts
of
energy
and
resources.
Fusion
is
not
(yet)
a
realis?c
way
of
genera?ng
energy.
Images
from:
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion

36. Nuclear
Fusion
is
how
the
Sun
generates
energy…
…
but
we
can’t
reliably
do
it
here
on
Earth.
Nuclear
Fission
is
what
we
mean
by
atomic
energy.
Images
from:
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion

37. Nuclear
Fission
is
how
we
generate
‘atomic
energy’.
Open
this
PhET
Lab
on
Fission.
Describe
how
a
fission
reac?on
works.
• What
is
the
role
of
the
neutron?
• What
happens
to
the
235U
nuclide?
• How
is
energy
released?
Switch
to
the
Chain
Reac9on
Set
it
up
in
a
containment
vessel.
• What
happens
when
you
add
more
235U?
• How
does
238U
behave?
• Which
isotope
would
you
choose
to
sustain
a
chain
reac?on,
releasing
energy?
Switch
to
the
Nuclear
Reactor
Set
it
up
and
get
it
running!
• What
is
the
effect
of
removing
the
control
rods
from
the
reactor?
h3p://phet.colorado.edu/en/simula?on/nuclear-­‐fission
• How
could
control
rods
be
used
to
maintain
safety
and
control
output
of
energy?
• What
are
they
made
of?

38. Nuclear
Fission
is
how
we
generate
‘atomic
energy’.
Annotate
this
diagram
to
describe
what
is
happening
in
a
1
neutron
in
nuclear
fission
reac?on.
This
fission
equa9on
represents
the
reac?on:
235
92 U + 01n ! 3 01n + 141Ba + 36 Kr 56
92
Complete
these
fission
equa?ons:
235
92 U + 1n ! 3 1n + 90 Rb + ? ?
0 0 37 ?
energy
235
92 U + 01n ! 3 01n + 143
55 Cs + ? ?
?
3
neutrons
These
neutrons
can
go
on
to
split
other
produced
235U
nuclides
in
a
chain
reac6on.
Image
from:
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission

39. Nuclear
Energy
how
do
we
get
electricity
from
this?
It
takes
a
lot
of
binding
energy
to
hold
a
nucleus
together.
When
we
split
the
atom,
we
release
the
daughter
par?cles,
some
neutrons
and
gamma
radia?on.
Gamma
radia?on
is
high-­‐frequency
energy!
This
energy
can
be
used
to
heat
water,
to
drive
a
turbine
and
power
a
generator,
just
like
conven?onal
electrical
genera?on.
It
all
needs
magnets
to
move
in
rela9on
to
coils!
Control-­‐rods
are
neutron-­‐absorbent
materials
that
can
stop
or
control
the
rate
of
the
chain
reac?on
and
therefore
control
the
temperature
and
safety
of
the
reactor.
Images
from:
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission
and
h3p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressurized_water_reactor

40. Radioac9ve
Waste
How
do
we
get
rid
of
it?
The
products
of
nuclear
fission
are
radioac?ve
but
will
decay
to
stable
nuclides.
141
Complete
the
decay
pathways
for
92Kr
and
141Ba.
92
36 Kr 56 Ba
-­‐,
1.8s
??,
18.3
min
92 141
? ? ? ?
??,
4.5s
??-­‐,
3.9
h
92 141
? ? ? ?
??,
2.7h
??-­‐,
32.5
days
92 141
? ? ? ?
??,
3.5h
Data
from:
h3p://periodictable.com/Isotopes/056.141/index2.p.full.dm.html

41. Radioac9ve
Waste
How
do
we
get
rid
of
it?
The
products
of
nuclear
fission
are
radioac?ve
but
will
decay
to
stable
nuclides.
141
Because
nuclear
waste
is
radioac?ve,
it
needs
to
92
36 Kr 56 Ba
-­‐,
1.8s
-­‐,
18.3
min
be
isolated
un?l
it
has
decayed
to
a
safe
level.
This
could
be
underground
or
in
special
treatment
92 141
facili?es.
37 Rb 57 La
-­‐,
4.5s
-­‐,
3.9
h
92 141
Nuclear
reprocessing
plants
can
take
the
spent
fuel
38 Sr 58 Ce
rods
and
extract
fissionable
materials,
such
as
-­‐,
2.7h
-­‐,
32.5
days
plutonium,
from
them.
These
can
be
used
in
other
reactors.
92 141
Y
39 59 Pr
-­‐,
3.5h
Next
genera?on
nuclear
reactors
will
use
current
92
nuclear
waste
as
fuel.
40 Zr
Data
from:
h3p://periodictable.com/Isotopes/056.141/index2.p.full.dm.html

42. Can
nuclear
fission
power
the
planet?
42

43. Fission,
Fusion,
α-­‐Decay
or
β–Decay?
1.
235
92 U + 01n ! 3 01n + 143
Cs +
55
90
37 Rb
2
2.
1 H + 1 H ! 01n +
3 4
2 He + energy
3.
238 4 234
92 U! 2 He + 90 Th
4.
214 0 214
82 Pb ! "1 e+ 83 Bi +!
235
5.
92 U + 01n ! 3 01n + 141
56 Ba + 92
36 Kr
40 4 36
6.
19 K! 2 He + 17 Cl 32 0 32
15 P! "1 e+ 16 S +!
214 0 214 131 0 131
7.
83 Bi ! "1 e+ 84 Po +! 53 I! "1 e+ 54 Xe +!
43

44. What
do
you
think?
Ideas
based
on
Concept
Cartoons:
h3p://www.conceptcartoons.com
Clipart
people
from:
h3p://www.clker.com/search/krug/1

45. For
more
resources.
Please
consider
a
dona6on
to
charity
via
Biology4Good.
Click
here
for
more
informa6on
about
Biology4Good
charity
dona6ons.
This
is
a
Crea6ve
Commons
presenta?on.
It
may
be
linked
and
embedded
but
not
sold
or
re-­‐hosted.