Pennies

 

Code Number: 7D10.55

Demo Title: Half Life - Coin Toss or Cards

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Radioactive Decay, Half-Life

Area of Study: Modern Physics

Equipment: 

Pennies.

Procedure:

Count out 100 pennies.  Toss them into the air pick out the ones that land "tails" up and then put them into a row.  Take the remaining pennies and toss them into the air and again pick out the ones that land "tails" up and put them into a row.  Repeat the process until no pennies are left.  The rows should show an approximate radiation half-life curve.

References:

  • Howard Evans, "Modeling Data Without Software", TPT, Vol. 46, #9, Dec. 2008, p. 516.
  • T. T. Grove,  M. F. Masters, "Mechanical Simulation of Half-Life", TPT,  Vol. 46, #6, Sept. 2008, p. 369.
  • Christopher G. Deacon,  "A Background to Background Radiation",  TPT, Vol. 41, #2, Feb. 2003, p. 78. 
  • R. Castillo, "An Analog of the Half-Life of a Radioactive Element", TPT, Vol. 6, #9, Dec. 1968, p. 467.
  • "Radioactive Decay of Candium", Countertop Chemistry, The Science House, North Carolina State University.
  • Simulation: Radioactive Deck-ay
  • "Radioactive Decay Model", Exploratorium Science Snackbook, pp. 81.1 - 81.2.
  • #124, "Heads Up", Janice VanCleave's 203 Icy, Freezing, Frosty, Cool, and Wild Experiments.
  • Bobby Mercer, "Candy Half-Life", Junk Drawer Chemistry, 2016, p. 174.
7D10.55 - Half LIfe - Coin Toss
7D10.55 - Half Life - Card Toss