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Lesson Plan: Beta Decay Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to solve nuclear equations involving beta decay.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- recall that beta particles have a charge of ,
- recall that “beta particle” is just another name for the electron,
- recall that when a nucleus undergoes beta decay, the relative charge increases by 1, the atomic number increases by 1, and the mass number stays the same,
- solve nuclear equations involving beta decay,
- interpret nuclear decay charts that show beta decay.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- what electrons are,
- what electric charge is,
- the basic structure of atoms.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- beta plus decay,
- neutrinos,
- electron capture,
- alpha decay,
- gamma decay,
- neutron emission,
- proton emission.
