There is a relatively simple way of using radioactive material in classroom experiments: uranium glass, which provides teachers with a suitable substance. By using the right computer software and a radiation sensor, it can be demonstrated that uranium glass emits radiation at a greater rate than the background radiation and with the aid of UV light a bright green luster appears. Therefore, with two pieces of uranium glass, students can learn about two different physical phenomena: fluorescence and radioactivity.
References
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Coach is a versatile activity-based environment that makes it possible to: (a) collect data with all kinds of sensors; (b) collect data from video clips; (c) process these data with advanced mathematical tools; and (d) compare the experimental results with predictions obtained by modeling.
© 2017 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2017
American Association of Physics Teachers
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