8.01
Radioactive Decay
Lab Breakout Room
Radioactive Decay
1. Place 200 candies in the shoe box, lettered sides up. The candies will stand for atoms
of a hypothetical radioactive element.
2. Cover the box and shake it vigorously for three seconds. This is one time interval.
3. Remove the lid and take out any candies (atoms) that have that are now showing
lettered sides down. These candies represent the atoms that decayed during the time
interval. Count and record in a data table the number of decayed atoms and the
number of remaining, not decayed, atoms.
4. Continue repeating steps two and three until all atoms have decayed or you have
reached 30 seconds on the data table.
5. Repeat the entire experiment (steps 1–4) a second time and record all data.
Radioactive Decay
You will need a data table like this one
Radioactive Decay
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 3 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 6 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 9 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 12 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 15 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 18 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 21 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 24 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
After 27 seconds
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
Enter your data here
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
Run 1
Radioactive Decay
Start a new data table for this run
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 3 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 6 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 9 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 12 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 15 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 18 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 21 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
After 24 seconds
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
Enter your data here
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
Run 2
Radioactive Decay
• Remember to answer the post lab question
as part of your conclusion