METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING THE LAW OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY IN PHYSICS EDUCATION
Keywords:
Radioactive decay, physics teaching methodology, nuclear physics education, half-life, exponential decay law, physics pedagogy, laboratory experimentsAbstract
The law of radioactive decay is one of the fundamental concepts in nuclear physics and plays an important role in understanding atomic structure, nuclear reactions, and radiation processes. Effective teaching of this topic requires the integration of theoretical explanation, mathematical modeling, experimental demonstrations, and modern pedagogical methods. The article analyzes methodological approaches used in teaching the radioactive decay law in secondary and higher education physics courses. The study focuses on conceptual understanding, mathematical interpretation of the exponential decay law, and the application of laboratory experiments and simulations. Based on the analysis of pedagogical literature and physics education research, the article identifies effective strategies for explaining half-life, decay constants, and statistical nature of radioactive processes. The results show that the combination of experimental visualization, problem-solving, and digital simulation tools significantly improves students’ comprehension of radioactive decay mechanisms.
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