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Nuclear Chemistry Webquest

Introduction

Nuclear chemistry is a growth industry. More than 3,000 nuclear facilities are operating world-wide to support medical research and energy, as well as industrial and military needs. Nuclear materials are part of our world, and we are all affected both directly and indirectly by policy that governs nuclear research. We need to be aware of the benefits of nuclear chemistry, as well as the risks. Nuclear chemistry issues range from weapons and waste (best-known and most feared issues), to nuclear energy and general applications (such as medical imaging techniques and radioactive dating techniques). But public and political opinion remains divided. Many believe that the benefits outweigh the risks; others believe that the risks are too enormous to ignore.

In this webquest, you will learn about the history of nuclear chemistry and the scientists whose discoveries made it possible. You will explore nuclear applications in our world today. Finally, you will have the opportunity to write about your own thoughts and feelings about nuclear chemistry.

 

Part I: History

    1. Many of the scientists involved in nuclear chemistry and physics research were Nobel Prize winners—who was Alfred Nobel and what is his prize? Get the information at the Nobel Prize website.

    2. Wilhelm Roentgen won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery of the Roentgen rays, or “X-rays.” How did he make this discovery? Click on his name to find biographical information.

    3. The 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics was shared between Henri Becquerel, Pierre Curie, and Marie Curie. Why were these scientists so important? How did they advance the development of nuclear chemistry? Click on the scientists’ names for biographical information and read from the presentation speech by Dr. H.R. Törnebladh, President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science on December 10, 1903.

    4. In 1905, Einstein developed his theory of relativity, describing the relationship between mass and energy (E = mc2). Why is the theory of relativity important to nuclear chemistry? Find out here. 

    5.   In 1939, Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (read the  letter) that would affect the course of nuclear chemistry. Why did Einstein write this letter and what were some of the consequences? Locate information here and here.

    6  What was the Manhattan Project? Where was it located and who worked there? Find information at the National Atomic Museum website.

    7. Select 3 of the following scientists and describe their contribution to the development of nuclear power (click on their names to find biographical information).

    1. Leo Szilard
    2. Otto Hahn
    3. Lise Meitner
    4. Enrico Fermi
    5. Edward Teller
    6. J. Robert Oppenheimer
    7. Neils Bohr
    8.  A-Bomb & H-Bomb – What’s the difference? Find out here and here.

    9. When the A-Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 70,000 people were instantly killed and another 70,000 were wounded. What were health-related after-effects on the Japanese population? You can get some answers here.

    10. In the aftermath of World War II, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union became strained as the U.S. brought Western Europe into its political influence and the Soviet Union increased political dominance over Eastern Europe. This period was known as the Cold War. How did the Cold War affect the development of nuclear weapons? Find out at  the National Atomic Museum website.

    11.  What is “Disarmament”? Get information on NATO’s position on disarmament here; and Greenpeace International's position here.

Part II: Applications

1.   What are the benefits and risks of nuclear energy (visit all websites). Benefits: Locate information at the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Princeton Plasma Physics lab.

 

      Risks: Find information on waste disposal at this site, and learn about the nuclear accident at EITHER Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania OR Chernobyl in Russia.

 

2.   OTHER APPLICATIONS: Choose 3 out of the following 6 applications. List 2 uses and describe how each application works. If possible, include the type of radioisotope, particle or ray used. (Note: Each of the following sites comes from The World of Nuclear Science Thinkquest. You may need to enter the site by clicking on “visit site” before you begin your research.)

a.   Medicine (diagnosis)

b.   Medicine (treatment)

c.   Radioactive dating

d.   Scientific analysis techniques

e.   Food and agriculture

f.    Industrial uses

 

This completes the Internet portion of this assignment

 

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Last modified on 12.04.2006