Curated OER
Nuclear Reactions - Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment
Neat! Show your physics class exactly how Ernest Rutherford fired alpha particles at a piece of gold foil and so determined that most of an atom is composed of empty space. Not just a slide show, but almost an animation, this...
Curated OER
Radioactivity, Time, and Age
Four activities demonstrate the chain reaction of nuclear fission to your physical science fans: falling dominoes, snapping mouse traps, throwing paper wads, and igniting a series of matches. They perform additional laboratory activities...
Curated OER
Nuclear Reaction Questions
These slides display 35 questions for a test or quiz on nuclear reactions. The topics covered assume that you have taught to quite a detailed level, with knowledge about research, common experiments, and the behavior and structure of...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of a Star
In this stars worksheet, students read about the different stages in the life cycle of a star. Then students complete 3 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Radioactivity
In this radioactivity worksheet, students write the mass number and atomic number for the missing element in the reactions. Students identify the isotope that is more stable and determine the half-life of the isotope. This worksheet has...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Nuclear Fission
Analyze nuclear fission chain reactions and how to prevent them as well as explore ways to control nuclear reactions through these simulations.
PBS
Pbs: People & Discoveries: Ernest Rutherford
A lovely biographical piece about Ernest Rutherford. A number of personal notes, along with extensive information about the physics work he did. Nice quote at the end.
Other
U.s. Nrc: Backgrounder on the Three Mile Island Accident
plant diagram, summary of events, glossary, health effects, impact of accident, current status, background information
Other
Dickinson College: Three Mile Island Emergency
Here you can learn general information about the nuclear accident that occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in March of 1979 while also viewing an extensive collection of primary source documents, audio recordings,...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Nuclear Reaction: Meltdown
What happens when a nuclear reactor overheats? This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE looks at the nuclear reactor meltdown at Chernobyl, the worst accident of its kind.
US Department of Energy
Fus Ed Web: Physics of a Fundamental Energy Source
An excellent resource on nuclear fusion! Using incredible graphics and excellent discussion, this site (with its several pages) provides an exhaustive online course on the topic. Click on the link for "a Guided Tour" and begin.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Fa Qs About Nuclear Power
Nuclear physicist, Dr. Charles Till, answers questions about nuclear power in this interview from the FRONTLINE Web site.
PBS
Pbs: The Karen Silkwood Story
Article provides an actual summary of Silkwood's exposure to plutonium and the analysis of her findings at Los Alamos.
Famous Scientists
Famous Scientists: Walther Wilhelm Georg Bothe
Find out about a German nuclear physicist, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1954 for his work in study of nuclear reactions, the Compton effect, cosmic rays, and the wave-particle duality of radiation.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Nuclear Power
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How energy can be generated through nuclear reactions.
Other
Lcid: Comparison of Fission and Fusion Processes
From the Science Teacher's Resource Center. A data sheet tabulating the many differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Technical information about the nuclear reactions, the mass defect, isotope masses, etc. is included.
Other
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory: Fusion Basics
A wealth of background information on nuclear fusion and its potential use as a commercial energy resource. The advantages of nuclear fusion over other resources, the conditions required for its successful implementation and the future...
Learn AP Physics
Learn Ap Physics: Physics B: Modern Physics
A site dedicated to help students prepare for the AP Physics B test. This specific site reviews Modern Physics including photons, photoelectric effect, atomic energy levels, The Michelson-Morley experiment, The Lorentz Transformation,...