Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Physics
Lesson Topic: represent simple nuclear reactions by nuclear equations of the form NH eO H714 24 817 11" ++
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the concept of mass defect and how to calculate it.
  • Calculate nuclear binding energy from a given mass defect.
  • Write and balance simple nuclear reactions using standard nuclear notation.
  • Interpret binding‑energy‑per‑nucleon trends to assess nuclear stability.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and slides
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Scientific calculators
  • Worksheets with practice questions
  • Mass‑tables handout (atomic mass units)
  • Nuclear notation reference sheet
 Introduction:
Begin with a short animation of a nuclear decay to capture interest. Recall students’ prior knowledge of E=mc² and atomic structure. State that by the end of the lesson they will be able to represent nuclear reactions and compute binding energies confidently.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Quick written question on calculating a mass defect from given nucleon masses.
  2. Mini‑lecture (15'): Explain mass defect, Einstein’s relation, and binding‑energy‑per‑nucleon using slides and a sample calculation for ⁴He.
  3. Guided example (10'): Work through the full binding‑energy calculation for ⁴He together, checking each step.
  4. Paired activity (15'): Students write nuclear equations for provided decays (α, β⁻, β⁺, fusion) and compute the associated mass defects using the handout.
  5. Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – write the nuclear equation for the β⁺ decay of ¹¹C and explain why deuterium fusion releases energy.
Conclusion:
Recap the link between mass defect, binding energy, and nuclear stability. Collect exit tickets and highlight common misconceptions observed. Assign homework: complete the worksheet on binding‑energy calculations and write nuclear equations for three additional reactions.