physics

Richard Handl

Richard Handl is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Handl rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Handl (born May 23, 1980) is a Swedish man who experimented with tritium, americium, aluminium, beryllium, thorium, radium, and uranium, with the intention to create a nuclear reaction. He acquired most of the radioactive materials from foreign companies, while assembling a collection of periodic elements.

Key takeaways

Richard Handl belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Richard Handl to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Richard Handl from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Richard Handl (born May 23, 1980) is a Swedish man who experimented with tritium, americium, aluminium, beryllium, thorium, radium, and uranium, with the intention to create a nuclear reaction. He acquired most of the radioactive materials from foreign companies, while assembling a collection of periodic elements. For six months in 2011, he allegedly attempted to build a breeder reactor in his apartment in Ängelholm, Sweden.

Background Handl became unemployed after working in a factory for four years, and decided to start a collection of the elements in the periodic table. Out of curiosity Handl began experimenting with the elements in his collection, to see if he could create a nuclear reaction. Handl's experiments included the acquisition of fissile material from outside the country, a radiator suitable for transmutation, and instruments to measure the reaction, including a Geiger counter. He spent about 5,000–6,000 kronor in materials and equipment. One stage of the process involved cooking americium, radium, and beryllium in 96% sulfuric acid on a stove, in order to more easily mix the ingredients; doing so resulted in an explosion. Handl kept a blog called "Richard's Reactor" in which he documented the progress of the reactor.

Legal repercussions Handl was detained by the police on 20 July 2011 after having contacted the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) to inquire as to whether his project was legal or not. His apartment was searched, and the radioactive materials as well as his computer were taken by the police. He was released, then convicted in July 2014 on the violation of the Radiation Safety Act, and the violation of Swedish Environmental Code. He was fined 13,600 kronor.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Handl

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Handl claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Handl before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Handl ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Handl

In research: Richard Handl appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Handl in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Handl is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1980 births, 21st-century Swedish criminals, Living people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Handl outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Richard Handl in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Richard Handl means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Richard Handl out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Handl in simple terms?

Why does Richard Handl matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Handl?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Handl.