Paper details:

Nuclear Chemistry Project

You will research nuclear chemistry and how radiation affects us. Please note that the phrase “the good, the bad, and the normal” does NOT indicate that nuclear power plants are “good” and that nuclear weapons are “bad.” As with all things, if we look at these through a scientific lens there are benefits and drawbacks of both. (though obviously, nuclear war has more drawbacks than nuclear energy…) The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Normal Overview:

For this project, you will select two nuclear chemistry topics

– one that provides a positive impact on society (The Good) and one that negatively affects human life (The Bad). You will also investigate the amount of background radiation that you are exposed to during a typical year (The Normal). Total of 25 pts possible. (1 pt for file submission online)

Part 1: The Good (8 pts)

Select a topic involving nuclear chemistry that is beneficial to society, and write a short summary (200+ words) of the topic. Clearly describe the connection to nuclear chemistry by including information about the specific isotopes involved (e.g. identity, half-life), the amount /type of radioactivity involved, or nuclear equations that represent the nuclear processes involved. A minimum of one reference (article or book) must be included.

Part 2: The Bad (8 pts)

Select a topic involving nuclear chemistry that is harmful to society, and write a short summary (200+ words) of the topic. Clearly describe the connection to nuclear chemistry by including information about the specific isotopes involved (e.g. identity, half-life), the amount /type of radioactivity involved, or nuclear equations that represent the nuclear processes involved. A minimum of one reference (article or book) must be included.

Part 3: The Normal (8 pts)

Calculate your radiation dose online @ http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/calculate.html (Links to an external site.)). This will give you an estimate of your annual radiation dosage from background radiation sources.

Write a short summary (200+ words) about your normal radiation exposure that includes: Your exposure level in mrem. The major sources of your background radiation (as indicated by the dosage calculator). Compare your radiation exposure to that of the average american. Use the attached radiation sources documents – the “average radiation sources” image shows you the average americans exposure. But if you haven’t had a CT scan, clearly your exposure will be different. The “average radiation dose to entire body” shows how much radiation you are exposed to if you participate in certain activities. radiation exposure.png Average Radiation Dose to Entire Body.docx How does your exposure level compare to the exposure of the incident response workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plant? (You will need to search for this data in the library) For information about how mrem and mSv relate, go to http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/perspective.html (Links to an external site.).) Select the background source that was the most surprising to you and look up information about that background source. Describe the connection to nuclear chemistry by including information about the specific isotopes involved (g. identity, half-life), the amount /type of radioactivity involved, or nuclear equations that represent the nuclear processes involved. A minimum of one reference (article, book, or epa.gov) must be included.