Learning outcomes - after studying this topic, you should be able to:

• use the appropriate notation to denote nuclides and isotopes
• explain the factors which govern nuclear stability
• balance nuclear equations
• recognize the proton-proton chain and primary nucleogenesis reactions
• use given equations to calculate quantities such as activities, specific activity and molar activity
• calculate ages of artefacts from activity ratios
• use and manipulate equations describing exponential decay
• explain the main mechanism of biological damage by ionising radiation
• explain the main factors that contribute to the severity of radiation damage
• explain why radioactive isotopes are useful in cancer therapy and imaging, and identify the most useful types of radiation for each
• predict the mode of decay for a given unstable nucleus

• Chapter 1 and Sections 27.1 - 27.4 (in Blackman, Bottle, Schmid, Mocerino and Wille, Chemistry, 3^rd Edition, 2015 (John Wiley) )

• Nuclear chemistry (in ChemWiki)

Risk from Japanese nuclear reactors Description: 'Sydney Morning Herald' report Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Balancing Nuclear Equations Tags: nuclear equations Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Balancing Nuclear Equations Description: YouTube tutorial Tags: nuclear equations Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Radiation Dose Chart Description: Graphical representation from webcomic xkcd Contributed by Greg Warr

how elements are formed?Fusion and Beyond! Description: Ever wonder how most elements are formed? Fusion and beyond! From the NOVA's "Origins" miniseries, host Neil deGrasse Tyson guides us on a journey into the mysteries of the universe, the Earth, and life itself. Contributed by lydia.daniel

Predicting radioactive decay Description: How to predict whether a nucleus is radioactive and how it will decay Tags: radioactivity Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Radioactive decay equations Description: How to write and balance nuclear equations Tags: radioactivity Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Radioactivity Calculations 1 (short video tutorial) Description: Calculating activities of radioactive elements Tags: Half lives | activity | radioactivity Contributed by Liz New

Radioactivity Calculations 2 (short video tutorial) Description: Calculating the age of a sample using carbon dating Tags: Half lives | activity | radioactivity Contributed by Liz New

Atomic and Nuclear Structure Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Radioactivity Calculations Quiz Description: The quiz has a large number of questions in its bank so you can practice again and again Tags: Half lives | activity | radioactivity Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Radioactivity Calculations Description: Video tutorials and self assessment quiz Tags: Half lives | activity | radioactivity Contributed by Adam Bridgeman

Interactive Simulations on Nuclear Decay Description: A large number of simulations and games that help to understand atomic structure, nuclear decay processes, half-life, and carbon dating. Contributed by Chiara Neto

Radioactive Dating Game Description: Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half life work to enable radiometric dating. Play a game that tests your ability to match the percentage of the dating element that remains to the age of the object. Contributed by Chiara Neto

Ionizing Power and Penetrating Power Description: Describes qualitatively the difference in ionizing power of alpha, beta and gamma rays. Contributed by Chiara Neto