Nuclear Chemistry: Writing Nuclear Equations

In this lesson students will compare chemical reactions and nuclear reactions and write nuclear equations. It is not intended for students to just write and balance nuclear equations, which is a pretty easy task for students to grasp, but to really understand what the equation represents. The equation is a representation of the nuclear reaction which are spontaneous reactions that move the nucleus toward stability. Students will balance nuclear equations and describe how the reaction affects the nucleus. Lesson Objectives: * Compare chemical reactions and nuclear reactions * Describe the characteristics of a nuclear reaction * Describe the effects of alpha and beta decay on the nucleus * Diagram alpha and beta decay * Solve and write nuclear equations * Describe gamma ray emission Prior Knowledge: structure of the atom, basic understanding of radioactivity, types of radioactive decay, and the symbols of radioactive particles Lesson Duration: 1