Over the age of 16, students can work with certain radioactive sources, provided they are carefully supervised. One of your...

Teaching Guidance 16-19

Nuclear bullets from radioactive atoms make the tracks in a cloud chamber. They hurtle through the air, wet with alcohol...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

Students will have seen signs of electrons and positive ions (perhaps carrying a current through ionized neon or helium). On...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

The main and first evidence for the hollow atom came from Rutherford's alpha scattering experiment. However, the first...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

If you do not have a plutonium-239 source, you can use americium-241. However, you need to be aware that it gives off gamma...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

As students start experiments on ionisation, they will have a fairly basic model of atoms and molecules as portrayed by the...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

Clouds form in the atmosphere when warm, wet air is pushed up. As the air goes higher its pressure decreases and it gets...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

Countries have national laws to control how radioactive materials are acquired, used and disposed of. These laws follow...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

Students' models of each of the radiations will develop through this topic. They will start with an idea of a generalized...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

In the UK, education suppliers stock only three isotopes in sealed sources. However, you may have other sources in your school...

Teaching Guidance 14-16

A high voltage will produce a spark in an air gap. This is easily demonstrated with the spheres of a Van de Graaff generator.

Teaching Guidance 14-16

A gold leaf electroscope measures potential difference between the leaf and the base (or earth). The leaf rises because it is...

Teaching Guidance 14-16