This educational brief provides an overview of the concepts of radioactivity, basic particle physics, and the use of radioactive decay as a mechanism to date our galaxy.

Students learn about the periodic table and how pervasive the elements are in our daily lives. After reviewing the table organization and facts about the first 20 elements, they play an element identification game. They also learn that engineers incorporate these elements into the design of new products and processes. Acting as computer and animation engineers, students creatively express their new knowledge by creating a superhero character based on of the elements they now know so well.

The following information will help you understand the Periodic Table of the Isotopes.

Elements: Each element has a fixed number of positively charged protons in its nucleus and an equal number of electrons orbiting the nucleus. For example, hydrogen (H) has one proton and one electron, but lead (Pb) has 82 protons and 82 electrons. There are about 115 known elements of which 82 are naturally abundant.

Isotopes: The nucleus contains both protons and neutrons. An element has a fixed number of protons but may exist with various numbers of neutrons. The sum of the protons and neutrons is the mass number. For example, helium exists as 3He(2 protons and one neutron) or as 4He (2 protons and 2 neutrons). The two forms of helium are called isotopes of helium. Isotopes of an element have the same chemical properties but different weights. Some elements have many isomers. Tin (Sn) has about 38 known isotopes. ~

This lesson plan explores the fundamentals of atoms and their structure. The building blocks of matter (protons, electrons, neutrons) are covered in detail. Students think about how atoms and molecules can influence new technologies developed by engineers.

In this activity, students make a model of a lithium atom using gumdrops and toothpicks. Using this model, they investigate the makeup of an atom, including its relative size. Students also practice adding and subtracting electrons from an atom and determining the overall charges on atoms.

This film briefly considers the nature of atoms as an introduction to an educational unit on the health effects of ionizing radiation (radioactivity). Educational concepts include atoms, nucleus, proton, neutron, electron, element, isotope, electrical charges, and ions. This instructional film is from Kansas State University's web-based course, GENAG 711, Occupational and Agricultural Health. Copyright 2011, Mitch Ricketts.

This film examines the process of radioactive decay as part of an educational unit on the health effects of ionizing radiation (radioactivity). Educational concepts include radioisotope, radioactive decay, alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, x-radiation, decay chain, and half-life. This instructional film is from Kansas State University's web-based course, GENAG 711, Occupational and Agricultural Health. Copyright 2011, Mitch Ricketts.

Are all atoms of an element the same? How can you tell one isotope from another? Use the sim to learn about isotopes and how abundance relates to the average atomic mass of an element.

SOHO-EITs view of the Sun in late January 2005.

This unit covers introductory concepts of mixtures and solutions. Students think about how mixtures and solutions, and atoms and molecules can influence new technologies developed by engineers. The first lesson explores the fundamentals of atoms and their structure. The building blocks of matter (protons, electrons, neutrons) are covered in detail. The next lesson examines the properties of elements and the periodic table one method of organization for the elements. The concepts of physical and chemical properties are also reviewed. Finally, the last lesson introduces the properties of mixtures and solutions. A comparison of different mixtures and solutions, their properties and their separation qualities are discussed.

This lesson provides an overview of basic atomic structure and the concept of radioactive decay. Topics include the particles that make up an atom, binding forces, and the concept of isotopes. There is also discussion of decay methods and half-life.

The January 20 flare began just before 2 a.m. ET. A storm of energetic protons impacted Earth just 15 minutes later. These views of the flare are from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The proton storm near Earth causes `snow in the images, obscuring the Sun as radiation swamps the cameras. The structure at the 1:30 position in the SOHO-LASCO-C3 data is the occulting disk pylon.

Students come to understand static electricity by learning about the nature of electric charge, and different methods for charging objects. In a hands-on activity, students induce an electrical charge on various objects, and experiment with electrical repulsion and attraction.

This lesson plan examines the properties of elements and the periodic table. Students learn the basic definition of an element and the 18 elements that build most of the matter in the universe. The periodic table is described as one method of organization for the elements. The concepts of physical and chemical properties are also reviewed.