Workshop: Radioactivity

Today’s song:RadioactiveKraftwerk

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Practicalities

• Monday reading: Chapter 5 of lecture notes

• Peer review of blog assignment due on Monday

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Blogs!

Overall, pretty good!

• Too broad: a blog ≠ Wikipedia article

• A blog needs a message

• An inviting introduction & conclusion

• Make sure figures, multimedia, ... support your message

Frequent comments:

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Blogs!

• Xavier Martinez

• Matthew Klein

• Kevin Guzman

• Thomas Budd

• Raghav Garg

• Scott Persaud

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Excellent examples:

• Erin O'Connell

• Angela Raghib

• Caroline McLean

• Benjamin Raphael

• Ben Bancala

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A. Radioactivity is just one example of a process in which radiation is emitted

B. Radioactivity is always dangerous, radiation is usually not dangerous

C. Radioactivity only occurs near nuclear power plants or nuclear explosions, radiation can occur everywhere

D. There is no major difference

E. Radioactivity can turn you into superhero, radiation cannot

What is the difference between radiation and radioactivity

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A. Radioactivity is just one example of a process in which radiation is emitted

B. Radioactivity is always dangerous, radiation is usually not dangerous

C. Radioactivity only occurs near nuclear power plants or nuclear explosions, radiation can occur everywhere

D. There is no major difference

E. Radioactivity can turn you into superhero, radiation cannot

What is the difference between radiation and radioactivity

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Last time you learned...

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My summary

• Mass is another form of energy ( E = m c2 )

• In some processes mass can get transformed into kinetic or thermal energy:

★ nuclear weapons

★ nuclear fusion in the sun

★ radioactive decays

• In some processes thermal energy can get transformed into mass:

★ supernovas

We are all stardust!8

The plan of actionLecture 2:

Quantum Mechanics & UncertaintyLecture 3:

E=mc2 & the atomic bomb

Workshop: Radioactivity

Lecture 4: The Fukushima disaster

Lecture 5: Intro to modern Particle Physics

Lecture 1: Intro to Quantum Mechanics

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Types of radiation

Very harmful

Quite harmful

Harmful in large dosis

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Units of measuring radiation dose

Curie (Cu): Counts the amount of particles. Measured with radiation detector

Sievert (Sv): Measures amount of harmfull radiation. (More harmful radiation is weighted more.)

Half-life

The half-life time of a nucleus is the time after which on average half of the nuclei that you started with will have decayed.

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How does a radiation detector work?

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