What is your favorite time of year?  Is is summer? Not only do you have vacation days, but you have all of those awesome outdoor activities in the warm sunshine, like bicycling, swimming, and baseball. That beautiful sunshine would not be there to enjoy with all of these activities if there was no such thing as nuclear chemistry.  The Sun provides warmth and energy through a nuclear reaction called fusion. This creation of matter releases a tremendous amount of energy.  Every day of your life has some connection to a form of nuclear chemistry.  Many people do not understand nuclear chemistry and are very fearful of advancements in nuclear science. In this topic, you will learn the basics of nuclear chemistry and its importance.

Essential Questions

• What are the differences and similarities between three different types of radiation?
• How does radioactive decay occur?
• How do the processes of nuclear fusion and fission occur?