Sam Rosenkrantz Modern Physics Unit Plan Atomic Physics Day 1 and 2

Purpose: This unit will be directed at improving students performance on the AP physics exam by covering Modern Physics concepts. These concepts include quantization of energy, wave and photon descriptions of light, and emission and absorption and photons. The important concepts and common questions were identified from released AP sample questions and student performance on a mock exam. Safety: The gas lamp uses fragile bulbs and high voltages that can heat glass up very quickly. When changing bulbs, cool down time is essential if heat protective gloves arent available. Students should not be allowed to touch the lamp. Also, lasers should be used with caution and never be aimed towards or allowed to reflect towards students. Virginia Standards of Learning: PH.9 The student will investigate and understand how to use models of transverse and longitudinal waves to interpret wave phenomena. Key concepts include a) wave characteristics (period, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and phase); b) fundamental wave processes (reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarization, Doppler effect); and c) light and sound in terms of wave models. PH.10 The student will investigate and understand that different frequencies and wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum are phenomena ranging from radio waves through visible light to gamma radiation. Key concepts include a) the properties and behaviors of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, Xrays, and gamma rays; and b) current applications based on the wave properties of each band. PH.12 The student will investigate and understand how to use the field concept to describe the effects of gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces. Key concepts include a) inverse square laws (Newtons law of universal gravitation and Coulombs law) PH.14 The student will investigate and understand that extremely large and extremely small quantities are not necessarily described by the same laws as those studied in Newtonian physics. Key concepts include a) wave/particle duality; b) wave properties of matter; c) matter/energy equivalence; d) quantum mechanics and uncertainty; e) relativity; Materials: projector or smartboard/activboard screen ionized gas lamp two different gas tubes

whiteboards spectroscopes

Procedure: Engage: A discussion of astronomy in current events, namely NASAs plan to capture an asteroid to study it, will be used to question students about our knowledge of matter outside of our physical reach. Once light is mentioned and discussed, I will ask students to list and order different kinds of radiation from largest wavelength to smallest wavelength. Then split up into groups and ask students to whiteboard a wave including a scale and an object to use to understand that scale. We will also try to recall or reintroduce the equations that relate wavelength, speed, frequency, and energy of a wave with a few practice problems. (35 minutes of class time, day 1) Explore: An ionized gas lamp will be used to introduce photon emission. Students will use tube and wedge spectroscopes to view the spectral lines and I will ask them to try to explain their discrete nature as opposed to a continuous distribution of color. Once energy levels have been brought up and discussed we will begin to discuss the Bohr model. (35 minutes of class time, day 1) Explain: The Bohr model will be used to establish the importance of energy levels, and then a comparison to the ball on a sheet gravity well will explain the use of the potential well to illustrate and understand energy levels. Concepts of stable and unstable equilibrium will be stressed here. Students will be asked how they would find the energy, wavelength, and frequency of a specified transition and, if needed, reminded of or directed towards the relevant formulas. (35 minutes of class time, day 2) Elaborate: Beamsplitter and diffraction grating experiments should be at least discussed, if not reproduced, to stress the connotations of wave particle duality with emphasis on interference and momentum. The importance of Einsteins mass/energy relationship will be discussed, and its connection with momentum explored through the equations. This exercise will be used to have students connect wavelength and momentum, to show that everything with momentum can be described as a wave and a particle. (35 minutes of class time, day 2) Evaluate: Students will be expected to have read and understood assigned reading from the text about each days topics before coming into class. Randomized notecards will be used to call on students, and students ability to respond to questions will affect participation grades. Also, an online quest homework system used by my cooperating teacher was used for a graded assignment about energy levels and photon emission and absorption. The end of each day of class time will be used as a class to work practise problems from a separate AP review packet, or to field questions from the online assignments. A post test made up of mock exam questions will also be given at the end of the unit.

Atomic Physics Day 3 and 4

Purpose: This unit will be directed at improving students performance on the AP physics exam by covering Modern Physics concepts. These concepts include quantization of energy, wave and photon descriptions of light, emission, absorption, compton scattering, pair production, x-ray production, and black body radiation. The important concepts and common questions were identified from released AP sample questions and student performance on a mock exam. Safety: If an open flame or radiant heat source is used to demonstrate blackbody radiation the heat source and any hot objects should be treated with care and kept away from students or flammable objects. Virginia Standards of Learning:

PH.9 The student will investigate and understand how to use models of transverse and longitudinal waves to interpret wave phenomena. Key concepts include a) wave characteristics (period, wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and phase); b) fundamental wave processes (reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarization, Doppler effect); and c) light and sound in terms of wave models. PH.10 The student will investigate and understand that different frequencies and wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum are phenomena ranging from radio waves through visible light to gamma radiation. Key concepts include a) the properties and behaviors of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, Xrays, and gamma rays; and b) current applications based on the wave properties of each band. PH.12 The student will investigate and understand how to use the field concept to describe the effects of gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces. Key concepts include a) inverse square laws (Newtons law of universal gravitation and Coulombs law) PH.14 The student will investigate and understand that extremely large and extremely small quantities are not necessarily described by the same laws as those studied in Newtonian physics. Key concepts include a) wave/particle duality; b) wave properties of matter; c) matter/energy equivalence; d) quantum mechanics and uncertainty; e) relativity; Materials: projector or smartboard/activboard screen air pucks or billiard balls

whiteboards

Procedure: Engage: A set of air pucks or billiard balls can be used to model a 2d collision, and then conservation formulas invoked and reworked to find the initial and final momentum of the two objects and the angles of motion. Students will be prompted to apply this same conservation for atomic and subatomic processes. Wave equations will be used to related momentum difference to wavelength difference of the incident and scattered photon (35 minutes of class time, day 3) Explore: Students will be prompted to ask what photons could knock out of place in the atom, and what moving electrons can represented by in circuits. Once the motivation for current from energy absorbed from photons is clear, I will diagram the photoelectric experiment so as to discuss cutoff wavelength/frequency and work function. The effect of different wavelengths and intensities of light will be discussed, as well as the exact meaning of both (35 minutes of class time, day 3). Explain: Students will take condensed, organized notes on all of the processes through which photons and atoms interact, emission, absorption, compton scattering, photoelectric effect, x-ray production, and bremsstrahlung radiation. This will also serve as time to review sample problems from the unit so far. (35 minutes of class time, day 4).

Elaborate: Students will be asked about what makes an object black and what happens to light that strikes a black object. Heating a black object to the point that it glows will be used to spark conversation about radiated light due to temperature, aka blackbody radiation. If a blow torch and iron object is available this may be done as a classroom demo. If not, videos can be used. (35 minutes of class time, day 5) Evaluate: Students will be expected to have read and understood assigned reading from the text about each days topics before coming into class. Randomized notecards will be used to call on students, and students ability to respond to questions will affect participation grades. Also, an online quest homework system used by my cooperating teacher was used for a graded assignment about the photoelectric effect and wave processes. The end of each day of class time will be used as a class to work practise problems from a separate AP review packet, or to field questions from the online assignments. A post test made up of mock exam questions will also be given at the end of the unit.

Nuclear Physics Plan

Purpose: To introduce students to atomic nuclei and subatomic charged particles and the processes through which they decay into each other. Safety: Students will be made aware of the hazards of the materials used in the cloud chamber before it is constructed. Proper lab behavior will be maintained while the chamber is out, and no students will touch the liquid nitrogen or alcohol. The alpha source should pose no threat. Virginia Standards of Learning: PH.14 The student will investigate and understand that extremely large and extremely small quantities are not necessarily described by the same laws as those studied in Newtonian physics. Key concepts include f) nuclear physics Materials: activboard/smartboard computer with PhET demos rubbing alcohol

cloud chamber liquid nitrogen alpha emitting source

particle flash cards

Procedure: Engage: A cloud chamber demo will be used to introduce charged particles and particle emission from an alpha source. The cloud chamber consists of a cooling tray filled with liquid nitrogen and placed underneath a sealed, backlit, plexiglass chamber supersaturated with alcohol. Students will watch the construction of the chamber, and I will ask students to try to explain the formation of the cloud from cooled alcohol vapor. Once the cloud seems to be forming I will insert an alpha source and prompt students to watch for trails in the vapor leaving the source. When students notice trails that dont seem to be emanating from the source, I will call up a diagram of a muon shower and begin discussing other particles. This will all prompt discussion about emission and absorption of particles following conservation laws. (35 minutes of class time, day 5) Explore: We will use flashcards to introduce the standard model. A blacked out picture of the standard model will be used to get students to learn to ask about the classifications Bosons, Fermions, and Leptons. When students ask, I will explain that Bosons carry forces, Fermions are elementary charged

particles, and Leptons combine to make bigger parts of the atom and other particles. As the students get closer to the proper arrangement I will begin to write definitions on the board for the students to take down as notes. (35 minutes of class time, day 5) Explain: Using another set of flashcards, my students will be asked to recreate the first few rows of the periodic table. I will ask them why the elements appear to be ordered by atomic number, and what meanings that number can have (number or protons, charge of the nucleus). Ill also ask them what the other number on the symbol means, and how the decimal value is found. Then I will ask them to order the elements by number of neutrons, reminding them that the difference between the mass number and the atomic number is the number of neutrons, and that protons and neutrons have masses of about one atomic mass unit. Once familiarity with atomic mass, mass number, and atomic number has been established we will try a few practice problems with mass differences to find bonding energies in stable elements. (35 minutes of time, day 6) Elaborate: A guided activity using the PhET Alpha and Beta decay and Fission simulators will be used to solidify understanding of decay processes and introduce the concept of half life (35 minutes of time, day 6) Evaluate: Students will be expected to have read and understood assigned reading from the text about each days topics before coming into class. Randomized notecards will be used to call on students, and students ability to respond to questions will affect participation grades. Also, an online quest homework system used by my cooperating teacher was used for a graded assignment about nuclear processes. The end of each day of class time will be used as a class to work practise problems from a separate AP review packet, or to field questions from the online assignments. A post test made up of mock exam questions will also be given at the end of the unit.

Worksheets and Quizes

Conceptual Physics Lab Activity 15c: Nuclear Processes Goal: To better understand natural/artificial transmutation and nuclear fission.

Part A: Alpha Decay Start by opening the PhET model Alpha Decay. Make sure that you first start by clicking on the single atom tab. 1. Observe the decay of Po-211. Write a nuclear equation for the decay of Polonium-211.

2. What has to happen within the nucleus in order for an atom of Polonium-211 to decay?

The half-life of Po-211 is approximately 500 ms (half a second). Without using the PhET model, sketch a pie graph indicating the number of undecayed Po-211 atoms for a reaction starting with 100 total atoms.

t= 0.5s t=1.0s t=1.5s t=2s Now, simulate the decay of 100 Po-211 atoms by adding 100 atoms from the Bucket o Polonium. Sketch what the pie graph looks like at the times shown.

t= 0.5s 3.

t=1.0s

t=1.5s

t=2s

Compare your prediction to the results that you observed. How can you explain any discrepancies?

4. Is it reasonable to assume that if you start with 10 atoms of Polonium, that 0.5s later only 5 will remain undecayed? What if you start with 500 atoms? Explain.

Part B: Beta Decay Open the Beta Decay PhET model. Make sure that you click on the Single Atom tab. 5. Observe the beta decay in the PhET model. Write a nuclear equation for the process.

6.

When an atom undergoes beta decay, where does the beta particle come from? What other particle is produced in this process?

Part C: Nuclear Fission Open the Nuclear Fission PhET model. Make sure that you click on the Fission: One Nucleus tab.

7.

Briefly describe the process by which Uranium-235 can be made unstable. Write a nuclear equation for the process.

8.

Suppose that you have 100 atoms of Uranium-235 and you fire a neutron into a single atom. Sketch a qualitative graph of Fissioned U-235 Atoms vs. Time.

Using the Chain Reaction tab within the model, validate your prediction from question 7. 9. Explain how the PhET model validates/invalidates your prediction made in question 7, citing specific observations.

10. Using the Chain Reaction tab, determine the criteria and settings needed to create an atomic bomb.

11. Explain why weapons-grade Uranium would not likely contain very much Uranium -238.

12. Use the Nuclear Reactor tab to determine the purpose of control rods within a nuclear fission reactor.

13. Are the following videos(Video A, Video B) good analogies of nuclear fission? If we were to use mousetraps and ping-pong balls to illustrate fission, what would each represent? Is there anything missing from this model?