EXPERIMENT 6: A Model Nuclear Power Plant Steam Turbine

The alpha source used in earlier experiments is not an ideal source for use inside a cloud chamber. However, it will work (usually) if you modify it as follows:

Tape a piece of aluminum over the opening on the source.

Using a pin or needle, pierce a small hole through thetape and foil. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE PIN OR NEEDLE TOUCH THE RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OPENING.

Open the cloud chamber (it’ll be cold, so take care). Resaturate the blotting paper with rubbing alcohol Place the alpha source on the black velvet so that the hole points inwards. Screw on the glass bottom, place the cloud chamber back on the dry ice, and wait. If all goes well, you will see fat white tracks characteristic of the passage of alpha particles.

THINGS YOU NEED: A small unopened can of your favorite fruit juice. An empty soup can. A clean finishing nail. A wire coat hanger. A can of Sterno canned heat. An eye dropper. Two small sheet metal screws.

The core of a nuclear reactor (the part that contains the uranium) generates heat as the chain reaction takes place. Nuclear power plants boil water with this heat. They then use the resulting steam to drive turbines that, in turn, drive electric generators. In this way, the energy emitted by the splitting atoms is converted into electricity.