Final Thoughts on Unit 2: Atomic Structure & Radioactivity

Looking back on this unit, I believe we learned some fairly simple concepts that furthured our knowledge on atomic structure and how atoms react over time. We first learned about the different scientists and what they contributed to our knowledge on atomic structure. Dalton created basic postulates that characterized atoms. JJ Thompson experimented with a cathode ray and discovered the electron. He created a plum pudding model where all the electrons are placed equally apart from one another inside of an atom. Ernest Rutherford performed a gold foil experiment and discovered the proton and neutron, creating a model that had a dense center of positively charged protons and neutrally charged neutrons surround by orbiting electrons. In this unit, we also learned about calculating average atomic mass which was pretty easy; you just needed to double check that the input on the calculator was correct so you get the correct number. For Chapter 19, we began discussing the various types of radioactive decay and the impact it has on an atom's nucleus. Alpha, beta, and gamma were some of the most significant types. Additionally, half-life was another concept we learned. Half life is the time it takes for half of the original sample to decay. I thought this was the hardest concept for me personally since each half life problem would be worded differentlly, and I had trouble figuring out what steps to do to figure them out. However, with some more practice, I'll be able to get half life perfectly! The last thing, we did not learn in class but was also on the test, was nuclear fission & fusion. I wish we would've talked about this in class as it is a pretty interesting topic to discuss. However, this was also a pretty easy concept to understand: fission is neutrons disbanding to form lighter elements and fusion is neutrons joining to create a heavier element.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom

I walked in today for the unit test feeling very anxious and frazzled. However, once I sat down and took the test, I was feeling pretty good about it. Even the half life problems were not that difficult. Overall, this unit was pretty interesting and I enjoyed the star log project that went along with it.