Half Life Analogue Demonstration

Students actively model the concept of half-life and radioactive decay.

This hands-on model offers a perfect way for students to safely study the behavior of subatomic particles. The set contains ten trays and 500 small plastic cubes, representing unstable nuclei. Each cube has one differentiated face, which represents a decayed daughter particle when landing face-up. Ten groups then shake their set of nuclei and roll them onto a table. For each throw, the decayed nuclei are counted and removed from the set. This activity allows students to create a decay curve and develop a greater understanding of radioactive decay in a safe manner.

Kit includes: (500) plastic cubes, (10) trays for student groups, and (1) plastic storage canister.