Description:
Working with an imaginary chemical element "Zorkium", represented by small cubes of any appropriate material, students randomly remove the ones marked as "daughters" by radioactive decay, over 12 trials. They plot the numbers for each trail on a graph, and then determine half-life of their element. Background information and templates for the data table and graph are provided.

Prerequisites are student knowledge of relative time, absolute time, radioactivity and rates of radioactive decay.

Organization:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

URL:
http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/Lesson3.html

Contact:
Learning Web Team
E-mail: learning_web@usgs.gov

Earth Science Questions
E-mail: ask@usgs.gov; http://www.usgs.gov/

Cost:
Free over the Internet

Education Level:
Grades 9-12

Subject:
Geology

Resource Type:
Internet Site
Curriculum/Instructional Materials
 
 

Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00