Unit 1 - Atomic Structure and the Nature of the Nucleus

Use the Unit 1 Interactive review to practice test questions, and returned copies of benchmarks as a good indicator of what kinds of questions will make up around 75% of the test.

Standard Resources
  • Students know the nucleus of the atom is much smaller than the atom yet contains most of its mass.
  • Students know protons and neutrons in the nucleus are held together by nuclear forces that overcome the electromagnetic repulsion between the protons.

  • Students know how to relate the position of an element in the periodic table to its atomic number and atomic mass. (this will include knowing the relationships between # of protons, Atomic number, mass #, # electrons, and # of neutrons)

  • Students know the three most common forms of radioactive decay (alpha, beta, and gamma) and know how the nucleus changes in each type of decay.
  • Students know alpha, beta, and gamma radiation produce different amounts and kinds of damage in matter and have different penetrations.

  • Students know the energy release per gram of material is much larger in nuclear fusion or fission reactions than in chemical reactions. The change in mass (calculated by E = mc2) is small but significant in nuclear reactions.
  • Students know some naturally occurring isotopes of elements are radioactive, as are isotopes formed in nuclear reactions.
  • These are facts, presented in class. If you did not copy them down, learn them from here:
    1. In nuclear reactions, small amount of mass are converted to large amounts of energy. The energy change is much greater per unit of mass than in chemical reactions.
    2. Some naturally isotopes are radioactive.
    3. All man-made isotopes are radioactive.
  • Review Textbook and Workbook sections 25.1 - 25.3

  • Balancing Nuclear Equations



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