Half-Life Simulation—Classroom Activity Kit

Product Details

Roll the dice! Radioactive decay is a spontaneous and completely random process. The probability that a specific atom will decay after a certain period of time can be modeled by another random process, the rolling of dice. In this cooperative classroom activity, students will first weigh 100 dice. A decay number for the dice is selected, and the 100 dice are rolled. The dice that “decayed” (landed on the decay number) are separated, and the mass of the remaining dice is recorded. The “undecayed” dice are rolled again and the entire process is repeated eight more times. Students determine the half-life by graphing the mass of dice remaining after each round. This is a fun alternative activity for students to study the principles of radioactive decay. Teacher Demonstration Notes, extensive background information and reproducible student worksheets are included.

Concepts: Radioactive decay, probability, half-life, first-order rate.
Time Required: 15 minutes