Radioactive Decay Quiz

Who discovered the first radioactive element, uranium, and in what year?

• Marie Curie in 1903

• Henri Becquerel in 1896

• Ernest Rutherford in 1911

• Albert Einstein in 1905

What is emitted during alpha decay?

• A neutron

• An electron

• A proton

• A helium nucleus

In alpha decay, how does the atomic number of the parent element change?

• It increases by 2

• It increases by 1

• It decreases by 2

• It remains the same

What happens to a neutron during beta-minus decay?

• It turns into a proton and emits a gamma ray

• It turns into a proton and emits an electron

• It turns into a proton and emits a positron

• It turns into a neutron and emits a neutrino

During beta-plus decay, what particle is emitted?

• A gamma ray

• A neutron

• A positron

• An electron

What is the main characteristic of gamma decay?

• Emission of a positron

• Emission of a helium nucleus

• Emission of an electron

• Emission of a high-energy photon

Which type of radiation has the highest penetrating power?

• Gamma radiation

• Beta radiation

• Alpha radiation

• Neutron radiation

What type of decay do elements with too many protons typically undergo?

• Alpha decay

• Beta-minus decay

• Beta-plus decay

• Gamma decay

What is the result of a neutron turning into a proton in terms of atomic number?

• The atomic number decreases by 1

• The atomic number increases by 1

• The atomic number decreases by 2

• The atomic number remains the same

What does the black stair-step line in the stability chart represent?

• The line of unstable nuclei

• The line of equal protons and neutrons

• The line of maximum energy

• The line of radioactive decay