Fritz Strassmann

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/fritz-strassmann

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Fritz Strassmann born?February 22, 1902
2. Where was Fritz Strassmann born?Bochum, German Empire
3. What did Fritz Strassmann discover about uranium?He found that when uranium was hit by neutrons, it produced barium, a much lighter element. This showed that the uranium nucleus split into two pieces.
4. How did Strassmann help scientists understand nuclear fission?By carefully analyzing the chemicals after the experiment, he proved that barium was produced. This evidence let other scientists explain how the nucleus broke apart.

Analytical Chemistry: A branch of chemistry focused on identifying and quantifying the chemical components of substances.
Transuranic Elements: Chemical elements with atomic numbers greater than that of uranium.
Nuclear Fission: The process where the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy.
Nuclear Chain Reaction: A self-sustaining series of nuclear fissions, where neutrons released from one fission trigger further fissions.