5.1
The Nuclear Model of the Atom
›
What's inside an atom — and how we figured it out. Atomic structure (protons, neutrons, electrons), how atoms become ions, the famous Rutherford scattering experiment that changed everything, proton number (Z) and nucleon number (A), nuclide notation, isotopes, and the incredible power of nuclear fission and fusion.
Radioactivity sounds scary, but understanding it makes it manageable — and it has some brilliant uses. Background radiation, detecting radiation with a Geiger-Müller tube, alpha, beta, and gamma radiation (their properties, penetration, and ionising power), decay equations, half-life calculations, real-world applications (smoke alarms, medical tracers, thickness gauges), and safety precautions.