Basic atomic-structure vocabulary and arithmetic are helpful. Use a notebook for comparisons and simple calculation study. Free viewing does not include experimental training, radiation-safety certification, engineering assessment or academic credit.
Optional preparation: High School Physics: Free Course.
About this course
Understand the recorded basics of radioactive decay and nuclear reactions in this free Khan Academy course. The full seven-video sequence includes an introduction, alpha, beta and gamma decay, half-life, fusion and fission. It is a compact physics study unit with all original source lessons available.
Course at a glance
| Provider / Teaching team | Khan Academy |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · Khan Academy |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Language | English |
| Videos | 7 |
| Video duration | 1h 17m · allow extra time for practice |
| Format | Self-paced recorded training |
| Certificate | Not included with video viewing |
What you’ll learn
- Connect the introduction with the three decay explanations.
- Distinguish the alpha, beta and gamma topics in the course framework.
- Explore the meaning of half-life through the recorded teaching example.
- Compare the source fusion and fission explanations.
Skills you’ll gain
- Nuclear-physics concepts
- Radioactive decay
- Half-life reasoning
- Fusion and fission
- Scientific comparison
- Physics vocabulary
Course Overview
The sequence begins with radioactive decay before separating the alpha, beta and gamma explanations. The half-life recording provides a further way to discuss the process over time, and the final fusion and fission videos broaden the view into nuclear reactions. All seven source recordings are retained in order. The course is a conceptual foundations unit rather than a comprehensive nuclear-engineering, radiation-protection or laboratory program. Its educational value is to keep several related terms distinct and connect them with the question each lesson addresses. Small written examples and carefully checked study diagrams can help the learner understand the explanations without treating the course as a list of definitions.
How to study the course
- Start with the introduction and the three decay lessons. Make a comparison table that preserves the differences in the instructor’s explanations.
- Study half-life and explain the time-related reasoning in your own words. Use a small on-paper example that you can check against the source lesson.
- Complete fusion and fission, then compare their purposes with radioactive-decay topics. Revisit the introduction whenever the terminology starts to blur together.
Use the searchable classroom lesson list to revisit a specific explanation. Pause after a useful demonstration, reproduce a small example and explain the result in your own words. Keep a short note of what worked, what changed and what you still need to understand before moving on.
Who is this for?
This course suits students with an introductory science background and curious learners seeking a compact nuclear-physics explanation. It can support a formal physics course while keeping the focus on the seven recorded concepts.
Before you start
Basic atomic-structure vocabulary and arithmetic are helpful. Use a notebook for comparisons and simple calculation study. Free viewing does not include experimental training, radiation-safety certification, engineering assessment or academic credit.
Put the lessons into practice
Make a study table for the three decay lessons, followed by separate notes for fusion and fission. Explain the purpose of each source recording in one clear sentence. Create a small half-life calculation on paper and state what its quantities represent, then check the reasoning against the video. Draw a simplified conceptual sketch only where it helps distinguish terms and note its limits. Finish by explaining a pair of concepts aloud without reading their definitions, returning to the relevant lesson if your explanation treats different processes as the same.
This optional activity is provided by WikiFree for independent practice. It is not a graded assignment from the instructor. Keep your working notes, check the result against the task you defined and return to the relevant lesson when an assumption or technique is unclear.
Certificate / Assessment
Watching the public videos and using WikiFree progress tracking does not award a certificate, exam voucher, academic credit or instructor assessment.
Use your practice output to review what you can now explain and repeat independently. Completion tracking records your study progress; it does not replace an assessed qualification or professional experience.
Related courses for your next step
- Review a lower-level optionHigh School Physics: Free Course
Focus: Physics models · Motion analysis
Beginner - Compare another approachFree MIT Course: Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Fundamentals
Focus: 1. Radiation History to the Present — Understanding the Discovery of the Neutron · 10. Radioactive Decay Continued
Intermediate - Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Nuclear and Particle Physics
Focus: L0.1 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics: Course Overview · L2.3 Symmetries: Parity
Professional
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Nuclear Physics Fundamentals: Free Course | Intermediate | Nuclear-physics concepts · Radioactive decay · Half-life reasoning | 1h 17m of video; practice time is additional |
| High School Physics: Free Course | Beginner | Physics models · Motion analysis · Forces and momentum | 7h 39m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Fundamentals | Intermediate | 1. Radiation History to the Present — Understanding the Discovery of the Neutron · 10. Radioactive Decay Continued · 18. Ion-Nuclear Interactions II — Bremsstrahlung, X-Ray Spectra, Cross Sections | 31h 38m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Nuclear and Particle Physics | Professional | L0.1 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics: Course Overview · L2.3 Symmetries: Parity · L4.10 QED: Noether's Theorem | 8h 11m of video; practice time is additional |
Frequently asked questions
Is this course free to watch?
Yes. The public video lessons can be viewed in the WikiFree classroom. Free viewing does not include paid software, service subscriptions, provider membership benefits or a credential.
How long does the course take?
The 7 source videos total approximately 1h 17m. Allow additional time for pausing, practice, reviewing an example and checking your own result.
What background do I need?
Basic atomic-structure vocabulary and arithmetic are helpful. Use a notebook for comparisons and simple calculation study. Free viewing does not include experimental training, radiation-safety certification, engineering assessment or academic credit.
Does watching the course award a certificate?
No. Video viewing and WikiFree progress tracking do not award a certificate, credit or an exam voucher.
Can I study on a phone?
Yes. The classroom has a responsive player and searchable lesson list. A larger screen and suitable practice environment are helpful for following software demonstrations or technical examples.
Provider: Khan Academy. Videos play from the Khan Academy channel on YouTube.
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