English

The Cloud Chamber (Physics of Technology Series)

A module on supersaturated vapors and radioactivity. Coverage of phase changes, radioactivity, ionization, and the use of the cloud chamber as a detector of radioactivity. No special apparatus is required, and there are no prerequisites. The module is a two-week introductory module, and it can be used at any convenient point in a course. Part of the Physics of Technology program, a 27-module introduction to physics at a pre-calculus level. The American Institute of Physics coordinated this program in the 1970s, with modules created by Florissant Valley Community College, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the State University of New York at Binghamton, and TERC. From the Instructor’s Manual : The Cloud Chamber is a short module concerned with observations of alpha and beta tracks by the use of a diffusion cloud chamber. The apparatus is simple, small, and inexpensive. Dry ice and alcohol are the only materials that must be obtained in addition to what is available with the module. A complete list of apparatus and materials appears in Section VIII. The physics that is discussed is mostly that of vapors, supercooling, condensation, and related topics. The physical principles involved

Sign in with your free account to read, download EPUBs or listen.