Laboratory Report - Radioactive Isotope Decay: Modelling Half-life with Skittles
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Course
SCI 401 - General Chemistry
Institution
Batangas State University
This laboratory report explores the concept of radioactive isotope decay using Skittles candies as a modeling tool. The report likely details an experiment in which you use Skittles to simulate the decay of radioactive isotopes and demonstrate the concept of half-life. By tracking the decay of Skit...
Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
The National Engineering University
Alangilan Campus
Golden Country Homes, Alangilan, Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines 4200
Tel Nos.: (+63 43) 425-0139 loc.
E-mail Address: ceafa@g.batstate-u.edu.ph | Website Address: http://www.batstate-u.edu.ph
College of Engineering
Department of Computer Engineering
EXPERIMENT NO. 3
Radioactive Isotope Decay: Modelling Half-life with Skittles
Rubrics for Grading Max Grade
Score
Format, Presentation and 2 Points
Organization
Subject Knowledge and 10 Points
Quality of Information
Correctness of Data Gathered 5 Points
on the Experiment
Timeliness 3 Points
Total 20 Points
Group No. 9:
De Belen, Princess
Flores, Joan Denise
Manalo, Mico Joseph
Pison, Dave Frank
Valdez, Lindsae Laurent
Introduction
A radioactive sample's half-life is the time it takes for one-half of it to decay. In essence, it
calculates the rate of radioactive decay (Chemin10, 2015). The question is, "Can radioactive
material's decay half-life be changed?" Dr. Baird (2015) reports that a radioactive material's half-
life of decay can be changed. Radioactive decay occurs when an unstable atomic nucleus changes
spontaneously to a lower-energy state, and a small amount of radiation is emitted. This process
, phenomenon. It is impossible to predict how one specific nucleus will decay since it happens
randomly.
The half-life of radioactive material can be changed using time dilation effects. It can also
be altered by changing the state of the electrons surrounding the nucleus. Furthermore, in
radioactive decay called "electron capture," the nucleus absorbs one of the atom's electrons. It
combines it with a proton to make a neutron and a neutrino. In addition to altering the chemical
bonds, the half-life can be altered by simply removing electrons from the atom. Lastly, the half-
life of a radioactive material can be changed by bombarding it with high-energy radiation (Baird,
2015). In this study, the researchers will use various materials, with skittles being a primary
instrument for the purpose of simulating radioactive decay. In this case, every time it lands S-side
up, it means that a particle has decayed.
Results and Discussion
Listed below are the table and figures that the researchers created in order to provide clear
and thorough explanations about their observations and analysis of the radioactive isotope decay
and half-life. Apart from that, the table and figures summarized the data collected from the
experiments of each researcher.
Discussion of Table
Provided in table 1 below are the data collected such as the time in minutes and the number
of remaining Skittles every one-minute interval of the experiment. As can be observed, the
experiment of the five researchers starts with 50 pieces of Skittles which they shake and throw
afterward. All the candies that have S-side up are considered decayed objects while the others are
counted as the remaining Skittles which are not yet decayed. It can be seen that Lindsae’s data, 24
skittles, during the 1-minute time has the closest to the exact value of 25 as half of the total amount
of skittles used in the experiment. In the 2-minute duration, half of the 25 should be the result of
the experiment which is 12.5, and the person who got the closest actual value is Dave who had 13
skittles. While on the 3-minute and 4-minute intervals, 6.25 and 3.125 are the calculated half
numbers of skittles. It can be 6 and 3 pieces of skittles when estimated. The person who had the
closest data with the actual value is Dave. Then, on 5-minute and 6-minute duration, the calculated
actual values are 1.56 and 0.68 which are half of the previous values and Lindsae and Dave had
the closest average values. Overall, Princess is the first to accumulate 0 skittles, while Joan is the
last to have 0 skittles.
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