Re: radioactivity (recantation-in part)

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

        Whenever I find myself giving a long answer to a student question
then I get a sinking feeling that I have misunderstood the question.
Here's one possible scenario where the teacher (for once) takes my advice
and looks to see what the motivation is for the question:

Student: Why are atoms heavier than Uranium radioactive?
Teacher: Interesting question.  What brought it up?
S: Jimmy Thudpucker read it in a book and bet me $50 you couldn't
        answer it.  I bet you could.
T: Too bad.  You lose.  I can't answer questions to settle bets.
        END OF DISCUSSION

Here's another:
S: Why are atoms....
T: Interesting question.  What...?
S: I was reading about the discovery of radioactivity.  I understand
   that there are three kinds called alfer, bater and gammer (the scene is
   Boston, Mass.), that come from really heavy atoms.  How come?
T: OK.  We'll have to get into this later when we talk about how
   neutrons and protons have to get into certain combinations in order
   to make atoms that stick together.
        AND SO FORTH...

Other than that, I endorse JD's recomendation of the Britannica article.
                                Regards,
                                        Jack


On Fri, 27 Oct 2000, cliff parker wrote:

> Jack Uretsky wrote:
>
> >      ...   Elements fly apart - emitting "stuff" - whenever energy
> > conservation permits them to do so.
> >         A nucleus in an excited state will decay to a lower state by
> > gamma emmission.