Time Frame
1 class periods of 60 minutes each
Summary
Students will use pennies to model the half-life of radioactive atoms
Materials
- student sheet (attached)
- 100 pennies per lab group
- bag or plastic box or storage container sturdy enough to shake them in
Instructional Procedures
- Pre-count the pennies into a bag per 4 students.
- "Hook" the students with a piece wood or fabric. Tell them it was found with a mummy in a pyramid and the archeologists want to find out how old it is.
- Read the introduction and describe where the materials are located.
- Allow students time to work and ask them to post the age they found for the clothing on the board.
- Discuss why student results might be different from one another.
- Allow time for analysis questions and graphing.
Bibliography
Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.
Created: 12/11/2014
Updated: 02/05/2018
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