Lesson: The Atomic Nucleus Chemistry • First Year of Secondary School

In this lesson, we will learn how to describe the stability of the atomic nucleus through the strong force and through the ratio of protons to neutrons and calculate nuclear binding energy.

Lesson Plan

Students will be able to

explain how the nucleus of an atom is held together by the strong nuclear force,
describe the strong nuclear force and the important role neutrons play in its stability,
define and calculate the nuclear binding energy of an atom of an element,
explain the stability of a nucleus in relation to its ratio of proton to neutrons,
interpret the stability of an atom of an isotope from graphs showing the band of stability,
convert between mass and energy using and between atomic mass units (u), kilograms (kg), and electron volts (eV).