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Brainlag Learn / GCSE Physics

Atomic structure and radioactivity

The nuclear atom and how its model developed, isotopes, alpha, beta and gamma radiation, nuclear equations, half-life, the hazards and uses of radiation, and fission and fusion.

Lessons

  1. Atoms, nuclei and isotopesWhat an atom is made of, how big it and its nucleus are, what isotopes and ions are, and how the model of the atom changed over time. 25 min, with the Periodic Table, free
  2. Alpha, beta and gamma radiationWhy some nuclei are unstable, what alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation are, how far each travels and how strongly each ionises. 20 min, with the Radioactive decay simulation, free
  3. Nuclear equationsWrite alpha and beta decay as equations, find the new nucleus from the mass and atomic numbers, and see why gamma and neutron emission change things differently. 20 min, Plus
  4. Half-lifeWhat half-life means, how to read it off a decay graph, and how to work out what is left after a number of half-lives, correcting for background. 25 min, with the Radioactive decay simulation and the Half-Life Calculator, Plus
  5. Hazards and uses of radiationContamination and irradiation, background radiation and doses in sieverts, and how to choose an isotope for a job in medicine or industry from its radiation and half-life. 25 min, Plus
  6. Nuclear fission and fusionHow a large nucleus splits, how a chain reaction is controlled in a reactor and runs away in a bomb, and how light nuclei join in the stars. 20 min, Plus, Physics only

Practise and test

AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR are registered trade marks of their owners. Brainlag Learn is independent: it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board, and every question on it is original.