Radiation and Isotopes Quiz

What causes unstable isotopes to decay?

• Excess energy or mass

• Lack of energy

• Too few neutrons

• Too many protons

Which of the following is an example of a process used for dating ancient organic materials?

• Alpha decay

• Carbon dating

• Gamma decay

• Beta decay

What is emitted when Carbon-14 decays into Nitrogen-14?

• Alpha particles

• Gamma rays

• Beta particles

• Neutrons

What type of radiation is emitted during alpha decay?

• Protons

• Neutrons

• Alpha particles

• Beta particles

Which of the following is an example of an unstable isotope?

• Oxygen-16

• Uranium-238

• Nitrogen-14

• Helium-4

What happens during beta decay?

• A neutron turns into a proton, and a beta particle is emitted.

• A proton turns into a neutron, and an alpha particle is emitted.

• The nucleus releases gamma rays.

• A proton turns into an electron, and a neutron is emitted.

Which of the following particles has the smallest mass?

• Alpha particles

• Beta particles

• Gamma rays

• Neutrons

What happens during irradiation?

• A person becomes radioactive.

• Radiation is absorbed, but no radioactive substance enters the body.

• The body produces its own radiation.

• The body is contaminated.

What is contamination?

• Radiation exposure without absorption

• Absorption of radioactive material into the body

• The process of shielding against radiation

• Radiation being emitted into the environment

Which of the following is an example of contamination?

• Getting an X-ray

• Eating food with radioactive potassium

• Exposure to cosmic rays

• Being in a room with radioactive materials