| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: |
Date: 01/12/2025 |
| 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.
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Materials Needed:
- Projector and slides
- Whiteboard and markers
- Scientific calculators
- Worksheets with practice questions
- Mass‑tables handout (atomic mass units)
- Nuclear notation reference sheet
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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.
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Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5'): Quick written question on calculating a mass defect from given nucleon masses.
- Mini‑lecture (15'): Explain mass defect, Einstein’s relation, and binding‑energy‑per‑nucleon using slides and a sample calculation for ⁴He.
- Guided example (10'): Work through the full binding‑energy calculation for ⁴He together, checking each step.
- Paired activity (15'): Students write nuclear equations for provided decays (α, β⁻, β⁺, fusion) and compute the associated mass defects using the handout.
- Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – write the nuclear equation for the β⁺ decay of ¹¹C and explain why deuterium fusion releases energy.
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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.
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