Education Resources

Nuclear science in your life

This poster explores information about the applications of nuclear science in your life.

Investigating radiation in the air we breathe

Radioactive radon gas is a decay product of uranium and thorium, which are found naturally in rocks, soil and building materials. Radon is a significant component of background radiation and can accumulate in poorly ventilated indoor environments. 

In this data set, we investigated the effect of charging a balloon, which was then hung in an enclosed space, on its level of radioactivity. 

Students will write a hypothesis, graph data, write a conclusion and use provided information to answer questions about radioactivity and radon, experimental design, accuracy, validity and reliability.

Year 9-10 Introduction to Nuclear Science Tour

This tour is an introduction to isotopes, radioactivity and half-life, and the real-life applications of these concepts. Students will do a series of hands-on activities using the workbook below. Please ensure that you bring printed copies of the workbook for the students to use while completing these activities. 

We are working on new content to address the new 2026 NSW Science Stage 5 (Year 9-10) syllabus.

All tours are available Monday to Friday for Years 7 to 12 classes.

The cost per student is $12.50 and teachers are free. 

Teachers are requested to print enough copies of the relevant workbook for their class before their visit to ANSTO, as students will not be permitted to bring digital devices on-site.

Air pollution from combustion processes in Newcastle

Combustion reactions in vehicles, household woodfires and coal-fired power plants all result in fine particle air pollution in the air we breathe. ANSTO has been measuring and characterising fine particle pollution from key sites around Australia for more than 30 years. 

This data set provides records from 1998 to 2019 of the concentration of 12 elements present in fine airborne particulate matter from an air sampling station located in Mayfield in Newcastle, NSW.

Radionuclides in medicine

Radionuclides have been used routinely in medicine for more than 60 years. Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide information about the functioning of a person's specific organs to diagnose or treat disease. The radionuclides used in medicine have half-lives ranging from a few minutes to several days in order to minimise the radiation dose the patient receives. 

For three unknown medical radionuclides, students will graph their decay over time, use the graph to calculate their half-life, and determine the identify and use of each radionuclide using background information provided.

Year 11 Chemistry Tour

Our Year 11 Chemistry tour and depth study guide can be used as the starting point for a depth study about nuclear science, covering nuclear-related components of Module 1: Properties of Structure and Matter.

All tours are available Monday to Friday for Years 7 to 12 classes.

The cost per student is $12.50 and teachers are free. 

Teachers are requested to print enough copies of the relevant workbook for their class before their visit to ANSTO, as students will not be permitted to bring digital devices on-site.

Year 12 Investigating Science Tour

Our Year 12 Investigating Science tour and depth study guide can be used as the starting point for a depth study about nuclear science, covering nuclear-related components of Module 6: Technologies and Module 8: Science and Society.

All tours are available Monday to Friday for Years 7 to 12 classes.

The cost per student is $12.50 and teachers are free. 

Teachers are requested to print enough copies of the relevant workbook for their class before their visit to ANSTO, as students will not be permitted to bring digital devices on-site.

Monitoring air pollution and traffic density in Sydney

ANSTO Environmental Researcher Scott Chambers uses a naturally-occurring radioactive gas called Radon-222 to trace sources of pollution in the atmosphere. 

This data set contains hourly observations of meteorology, trace gas pollutants, Radon-222 concentration and traffic density collected from Western Sydney University (Richmond campus) in 2016.

Monitoring fine particle air pollution in Newcastle

ANSTO has been measuring and characterising fine particle pollution from key sites around Australia for more than 30 years. 

This data set provides records from 1998 to 2019 of the concentration of 12 elements present in fine airborne particulate matter from an air sampling station located in Mayfield in Newcastle, NSW.

Historic greenhouse gas concentrations from Antarctic ice core sampling

ANSTO Physicist Andrew Smith collaborates with international scientists to study historical greenhouse gas concentrations from Antarctic ice core samples. 

This data set contains temperature records and concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane from the last 800,000 years.