WorksheetsRadioactivity
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 12mins
Look at the diagram of an atom of a common element. What is the atomic number?
3
4
7
10
Look at the diagram of an atom of a common element. What is the mass number?
3
4
7
10
Two isotopes of the same element have
the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
the same number of protons but different numbers of electrons
the same number of neutrons but different numbers of protons
the same number of electrons but different numbers of protons
A radioactive isotope is a substance that
will eventually gain electrons through bonding
will become stable by cooling down
is unstable and will 'decay' by losing particles
is not found naturally on the Earth
Which type(s) of radiation is the most ionising?
alpha
beta
gamma
alpha and beta
beta and gamma
Which type(s) of radiation is a fast moving electron?
alpha
beta
gamma
alpha and beta
beta and gamma
Which type(s) of radiation can pass through paper?
alpha
beta
gamma
alpha and beta
beta and gamma
When Uranium decays it emits an alpha particle, forming an isotope of Thorium. Which of the above decay equations is correct?
A
B
C
D
What change takes place to an atom during beta decay?
A proton changes into a neutron
A proton changes into an electron
An electron changes into a neutron
A neutron changes into a proton
In the above decay equation, what are the missing numbers x and y?
A
B
C
D
The half-life of a substance is
the amount of substance left after it has decayed
the time it takes for half of the isotope to decay
the time it takes for half the mass to have radiated away
the mass of half of the isotope after decaying
Which of the above graphs shows how the activity of a sample varies with time?
A
B
C
D
A sample of 16 g of radioactive substance X has a half-life of 2 hours. What percentage of the sample is left after 6 hours?
none
12.5 %
25 %
33.3 %
Which of the following half-lives would be most suitable for a medical tracer used in a patient?
3 minutes
3 hours
3 days
3 years
What form of radiation should a medical tracer emit?
alpha
beta
gamma
any of these
The atomic number indicates how many...are found in the nucleus of an atom.
Neutrons
Protons
Electrons
Quarks
What is the half-life of this radioactive substance?
5700 years
11400 years
17100 years
22800 years
Carbon-12 has an atomic number of 6 and a mass number of 12. How many electrons would be found in a neutral atom of carbon-12?
6
12
18
24
A radioactive source has an initial activity of 200kBq and a half-life of 15 days. How many days would it take for the activity to fall to 25kBq?
15
30
45
60
A Geiger counter detects radiation from radioactive sources.
A radioactive source is inside a thick aluminium container as shown:
Which type of radiation from this source is being detected?
α-particles
β-particles
γ-rays
radio waves
The diagram shows a box used for storing radioactive sources.
Which material is best for lining the box to prevent the escape of most radioactive emissions?
aluminium
copper
lead
steel
A radioactive substance emits a particle from the nucleus of one of its atoms. The particleconsists of two protons and two neutrons.
What is the name of this process?
α-emission
β-emission
γ-emission
nuclear fission
