Chapter 10 Nuclear Chemistry - Chapter Test B

What is the process in which an unstable atomic nucleus emits charged particles or energy or both?

• radioactivity

• oxidation

• decomposition

• none of the above

What type of nuclear decay produces energy instead of a particle?

• alpha decay

• beta decay

• gamma decay

• electron decay

What type of radiation is emitted when polonium-212 forms lead-208?

• an alpha particle

• a beta particle

• gamma radiation

• all of the above

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

• You are exposed to nuclear radiation every day.

• Most of the nuclear radiation you are exposed to occurs naturally in the environment.

• Naturally occurring nuclear radiation is called background radiation.

• All natural radiation is at a level low enough to be safe.

Many people work near a source of nuclear radiation. To detect the amount of exposure they have to radiation, they most likely will use a

• Geiger counter

• film badge

• radon kit

• lead shield

The half-life of a radioisotope is the amount of time it takes for

• half the sample to decay.

• all the sample to decay.

• the age of an artifact to be calculated.

• detectable radiation to be absorbed by a sample.

Which of the following statements is true?

• Chemical reaction rates vary with the conditions of the change, but nuclear decay rates do not.

• Nuclear decay rates vary with the conditions of the change, but chemical reaction rates do not.

• Both chemical reaction rates and nuclear decay rates vary with the conditions of the change.

• Neither chemical reaction rates nor nuclear decay rates vary with the conditions of the change.

Which of the following is a radioisotope used to date rock formations?

• carbon-14

• potassium-40

• cobalt-60

• carbon-12

Transmutation involves

• nuclear change.

• chemical change.

• both a nuclear change and a chemical change.

• neither a nuclear nor chemical change.

Which of the following is an example of a transuranium element?

• samarium, Sm

• uranium, U

• curium, Cm

• thorium, Th