Advances in the Standards & Applied Sciences

Advances in the Standards & Applied Sciences

Melting of Ice Block as an Alternative Method of Radioactivity Demonstration

Document Type : Technical Note

Authors
Sunday Edet Etuk 1
Okechukwu E Agbasi 2
Ubong Williams Robert 3
Sunday Samuel Ekpo 1
1 Department of Physics, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
2 Okna Geophysical Services, Eket, Nigeria
3 Department of Physics, Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
10.22034/asas.2024.470347.1061
Abstract
This work is aimed at looking for an alternative, non-hazardous, highly sustainable and economically cheap substance that could be used such that its rate of decrement is analogous to radioactive decay as a substitute for practical demonstration of radioactivity and deduction of the associated constants. The ice block was used in place of radioactive substance. It was placed in a netlike wire mesh with hanger constructed for that purpose hung on a spring balance calibrated to read zero before the placement of the ice block. The reading of the initial weight of the ice block was taken and recorded while timing of its melting was carried out separately at intervals of 10 minutes and 15 minutes. The weight of the ice block left was recorded and the data analyzed. It was observed, in each case, that the weight – time relationships had exponential decay characteristic analogous to the radioactive decay in accordance with the empirical formula governing radioactivity, irrespective of the interval of timing adopted. Deduction of melting constant analogous to radioactive decay constant, as well as half-life of the block used was achievable with this method. It could be concluded that ice block is an auspicious non-radioactive substance that could be employed as a substitute for experimental/practical demonstration for making teaching and learning of radioactivity concept or topic learner-centered. for a better appreciation and comprehension. Ice block is a very good substitute for radioactive substance for the purpose of practical/experimental demonstration of radioactivity.
Keywords
Exponential decay
half-life
Learner-centered
Melting constant
Radioactive substance
Subjects
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Advances in the Standards & Applied Sciences
Volume 2, Issue 4
Summer 2024
Pages 186-193