Basic concepts in nuclear science can be difficult for students to grasp. To address this problem, we have developed a set of experiments using radon gas to enable students to explore the concepts of decay modes, half-lives, decay chains, and secular equilibrium. The measurements can be performed at several levels of sophistication. Measurements using Geiger-Mueller counters, high-purity germanium detectors, and surface barrier silicon detectors are described.
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© 2012 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2012
American Association of Physics Teachers
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