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Radioactivity

Total questions: 120

Worksheet time: 2hrs 2mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the mass number of this isotope?

a)

131

b)

53

c)

184

d)

78

2.

How many protons does this isotope have?

a)

131

b)

53

c)

184

d)

78

3.

What is the name of this isotope?

a)

Iodine-131

b)

Iodine-53

c)

Iodine-184

d)

Iodine-78

4.

An alpha particle is made up of

a)

2 protons and 4 neutrons

b)

1 proton and 1 neutron

c)

2 protons and 2 neutrons

d)

4 protons and 2 neutrons

5.

Which type of nuclear radiation can be stopped by a sheet of paper?

a)

Alpha

b)

Beta

c)

Gamma

6.

Which type of nuclear radiation can be stopped 60 cm of aluminum or 7 cm of lead?

a)

Alpha

b)

Beta

c)

Gamma

7.

When a substance undergoes beta decay

a)

The atomic number increases by 1

b)

The atomic number decreases by 2

c)

The atomic number does not change

8.

A radioactive shoe is wrapped in 3mm of aluminum foil but radiation is still detected. What must be true?

a)

The shoe emits alpha radiation

b)

The shoe emits beta radiation

c)

The shoe emits gamma radiation

9.

Which type of nuclear decay did Radon-198 go through?

a)

alpha decay

b)

beta decay

c)

gamma decay

10.

What will the values of x and y be?

a)

x=194, y =83

b)

x=194, y =84

c)

x=194, y =85

d)

I don't know. I should probably study this stuff more before the test.

11.

A sample of Radium-228 decays from 100g to 12.5g. How many half lives did it experience?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

12.

How much of a 250g sample would be left after 5 half lives?

a)

125g

b)

62.5g

c)

31.25g

d)

7.81g

13.

If the half life of Uranium-240 was 10 years, how long would it take for it to decay from 310g to 80g?

a)

10 years

b)

240 years

c)

20 years

d)

30 years

14.

This image shows

a)

nuclear fission

b)

nuclear fusion

15.

This image shows

a)

Nuclear fission

b)

Nuclear fusion

16.

This equation shows

a)

Nuclear fission

b)

Nuclear fusion

17.

This equation shows

a)

Nuclear fission

b)

Nuclear fusion

18.

When nuclei decay, massive amounts of __________ is released.

a)

energy

b)

electrons

c)

protons

d)

neutrons

19.
What is Half-life?
a)
The amount of time it takes for some of the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay
b)
The amount of time it takes for half the electrons in a sample of the isotope to decay
c)
The amount of time it takes for half the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay
d)
the amount of time it takes to double the nuclei in a sample of the isotope to decay
20.

What type of decay is shown here

23892U ---> 23490Th + 42He.

a)

alpha

b)

beta

c)

gamma

21.
After 4 half-lives, 1g of a sample of Krypton-85 remains unchanged.  What was the original mass of the sample?
a)
16g
b)
32g
c)
0.0625g
d)
4g
22.

Identify the type of nuclear decay shown here

21483Bi → 0-1e + 21484Po

a)

alpha

b)

beta

c)

gamma

23.
When a nucleus undergoes nuclear decay by gamma rays, the atomic number of the element....
a)
remains the same
b)
  decreases by one.
c)
increases by one.
d)
increases by two.
24.
The half-life of strontium-90 is 25 years. How much strontium-90 will remain after 100 years if the initial amount is 4.0 g?
a)
3.0g
b)
0.25mg
c)
0.3g
d)
0.25g
25.
The type of radioactive particle that can be stopped by a sheet of paper is the ____.
a)
alpha particle
b)
beta particle
c)
gamma ray
d)
uranium
26.

Finish this equation

20983Bi--> _______ + 20581Tl

a)

42He

b)

0-1e

c)

y

27.
The most dangerous type of radiation is the ____. 
a)
alpha particle
b)
gamma ray
c)
beta particle
d)
uranium
28.
Solve this equation for alpha decay.
85209At = ___ + 24He
a)
83205Bi
b)
86209Rn
c)
81207Tl
d)
85208At
29.

Identify the missing substance in each of the following nuclear reaction.

_____→13756 Ba + 0−1 e

a)

13755Ba

b)

13757La

c)

13856Ba

d)

13755Cs

30.
In the symbol 20682Pb what does 206 stand for?
a)
Mass number
b)
Atomic number
c)
Atomic mass
d)
Number of protons
31.
The three types of nuclear radiation in increasing order of penetrating power are ____.  
a)
  alpha, beta, gamma 
b)
X ray, beta, gamma
c)
alpha, gamma, beta 
d)
X ray, gamma, beta 
32.
What is the symbol for an alpha particle?
a)
42He
b)
0-1e
c)
0+1 e
d)
10n
33.
Two or more nuclei combine to form one larger nucleus in the process of nuclear _____.
a)
Fusion
b)
Fission
c)
Tracing
d)
Decay
34.
This is an example of...
a)
Fission  reaction
b)
Fusion reaction
c)
Decomposition reaction
d)
Decay
35.
The splitting of a nucleus into smaller nuclei is
a)
fusion
b)
fission
c)
decay
d)
gamma radiation
36.
Solve this equation for beta decay.
2760Co = ___ + -10e
a)
2556Mn
b)
2860Ni
c)
2358V
d)
2759Co
37.
This is an example of ---
a)
Radioactive Decay
b)
Nuclear Fission
c)
Nuclear Fusion
d)
Fossil fuel reaction
38.
This particle determines what element you have - the elements identity.
a)
electron
b)
proton
c)
neutron
d)
valence shell
39.
Which particles make up the nucleus of an atom?
a)
protons and neutrons
b)
electrons and protons
c)
electrons, protons, and neutrons
d)
electrons and neutrons
40.
What is the number of protons that the element in this image contain?
a)
14
b)
7
c)
15
d)
18
41.
An element with a mass number of 11 and an atomic number of 5 has how many neutrons?
a)
11
b)
5
c)
6
d)
16
42.

An isotope of an element has the same number of _________, but a different number of _________.

a)

Protons, electrons

b)

Protons, neutrons

c)

Electrons, neutrons

d)

Neutrons, protons

43.

A radioactive nuclide has a ____ stable nucleus than a non-radioactive nucleus of the same element.

a)

more

b)

less

c)

identical

d)

small

44.
What makes something radioactive?
a)
elements with an atomic number above 81
b)
an unstable nucleus
c)
contaminated sewage
d)
It decays over time
45.
_______________ is the process by which unstable atoms emit radiation until they become stable.
a)
Radiation
b)
Chemical Reaction
c)
Radioactive Decay
d)
Isotopes
46.
In order of most to least penetrating radiation we have
a)
Alpha , Beta,  Gamma
b)
Beta , Gamma , Alpha
c)
Gamma, Beta, Alpha
d)
Gamma, Alpha, Beta
47.
Negatively charged particles emitted from a nucleus at a high speed are ____ .
a)
protons
b)
neutrons
c)
electrons
d)
protons and neutrons
48.

Which type of radiation releases an electron?

a)

Alpha radiation

b)

Beta radiation

c)

Gamma radiation

d)

Theta radiation

49.

What particle is released when an unstable isotope undergoes alpha radiation?

a)

a helium nucleus

b)

an electron

c)

a photon of light

d)

a neutron

50.
Name the instrument used to detect radioactivity.
a)
voltmeter
b)
ohmeter
c)
seismograph
d)
geiger counter
51.
Which type(s) of radiation would be affected by a magnet?
a)
alpha only
b)
beta only
c)
alpha and beta
d)
gamma only
52.
Which type of radioactive decay is occurring in this equation? 
a)
Alpha decay
b)
beta decay
c)
gamma decay
d)
positron emission
53.

A radioisotope is any atom that contains an unstable _____.

a)

energy level

b)

nucleus

c)

orbital

d)

electron

54.

_____ is when the composition of a radioisotope changes.

a)

ions

b)

isomers

c)

nuclear decay

d)

Geiger counters

55.

What are three types of nuclear radiation?

a)

alpha

b)

beta

c)

gamma

d)

delta

56.

What are three effects of nuclear radiation?

a)

ionizes atoms

b)

molecules change

c)

stabilizes the nucleus

d)

cellular function breaks down

57.

How can nuclear radiation be detected?

a)

Geiger counters

b)

home radiation detectors

c)

masks with filters

d)

film badges

58.

The process in which an unstable atomic nucleus emits charged particles and energy.

a)

radioisotope

b)

energy level

c)

radioactivity

d)

energy charging

59.

The following are common types of nuclear radiation:

a)

x-rays

b)

gamma rays

c)

delta rays

d)

beta particles

60.

Which groups of particles make up an alpha particle?

a)

two electrons

b)

two protons

c)

two neutrons

d)

no electrons, protons, or neutrons

61.

Which events take place during beta decay?

a)

a protein decomposes into a neutron and an electron

b)

a neutron decomposes into a proton and an electron

c)

an electron is emitted from the nucleus

62.

A(n) _____ is a penetrating ray of energy emitted by an unstable nucleus.

a)

alpha particle

b)

gamma ray

c)

beta particle

d)

delta particle

63.

Why does nuclear radiation sometimes damage cells?

a)

it dries cells out

b)

it strengthens chemical bonds

c)

it ionizes atoms

64.

True or False: One potential danger of radon gas is that prolonged exposure to it can lead to lung cancer.

a)

true

b)

false

65.

Geiger counters and film badges are used to detect _____.

a)

carbon monoxide

b)

excessive smoke

c)

nuclear radiation

d)

polution in the air

66.

The nucleus of an atom consists of which particles?

a)

neutrons

b)

protons and neutrons

c)

neutrons and electrons

d)

protons and electrons

67.

The atom has an overall charge of zero. If electrons are removed from the atom what will the overall charge now be?

a)

Positive

b)

Negative

c)

Neutral

d)

There is not enough information

68.

What does the atomic number of an atom represent?

a)

the number of protons in the atom

b)

the number of electrons in the atom

c)

the number of protons and neutrons in the atom

d)

the total number of subatomic particles in the atom

69.

Which of the following is an isotope of carbon?

a)

b)

c)

d)

70.

Ionising radiation is emitted from unstable nuclei. What does the term ionisation mean?

a)

Ionisation is the loss or gain of electrons.

b)

Ionisation is an atom of the same element with more neutrons.

c)

Ionisation is the gaining of protons.

d)

Ionisation is the gaining of both protons and neutrons.

71.

There are three main types of ionising radiation. What are they?

a)

alpha, bravo, delta

b)

alpha, beta and gamma

c)

alpha, beta and phi

d)

protons, alpha and gamma

72.

Alpha radiation consists of which particles?

a)

two protons and two electrons

b)

two protons and two neutrons

c)

an electron

d)

a proton

73.

Which of the following are properties of alpha radiation?

a)

short range in air

b)

slow moving particle

c)

has a +2 relative charge

d)

all of the above

74.

Which of the following is not a property of beta radiation?

a)

has a −1 relative charge

b)

fast moving particle

c)

can penetrate a thick lead sheet

d)

lightweight particle

75.

A Radium-222 atom undergoes alpha decay. What would be the daughter nuclei of this decay?

a)
b)
c)
d)
76.

Which of the following materials can block gamma radiation?

a)

paper

b)

2 m of air

c)

thin aluminium sheet

d)

very thick lead sheet

77.

A Cobalt-60 undergoes beta decay. What would the daughter nuclei of this decay be?

a)

b)

c)

d)

78.

Uranium undergoes radioactive decay.

What type of decay has it undergone?

a)

Gamma

b)

Beta

c)

Alpha

d)

No decay has occurred

79.

thorium atom has undergone decay.

Which missing numbers do x and y represent?

a)

x is 90, y is +1

b)

x is 90, y is −1

c)

x is 91, y is +1

d)

x is 91, y is −1

80.

Which particle has a negative charge

a)

Alpha

b)

Electron

c)

Proton

d)

Neutron

81.

What is an isotope

a)

An atom with the same number of neutrons different number of protons

b)

An atom that has lost or gained an electron

c)

An atom with the same number of protons, different number of neutrons

d)

An atom with the same number of electrons and different neutrons

82.

A scientist counts radioactivity as 120 counts per minute. The background count is 10 counts per minute. Which value should be recorded

a)

12 counts per minute

b)

110 counts per minute

c)

130 counts per minute

d)

1200 counts per minute

83.

What is half life

a)

Time taken for a radioactive atom to decay be 1/4

b)

Time taken for a radioactive atom to decay by 1/3

c)

Time taken for a radioactive atom to decay by 1/2

d)

Time taken for a radioactive atom to decay by 1/5

84.

Which is an alpha particle

a)

Fast moving electron

b)

4 2 He nuclei

c)

fast moving positron

d)

EM wave

85.

The centre of an atom is called

a)

the electron

b)

the proton

c)

the nucleus

d)

the neutron

86.

What stops beta radiation

a)

Paper

b)

Air

c)

Glass

d)

Aluminium 3mm or thicker

87.

What type of decay is shown here

23892U ---> 23490Th + 42He.

a)

alpha

b)

beta

c)

gamma

88.

After 4 half-lives, 1g of a sample of Krypton-85 is left. What was the original mass of the sample?

a)

16g

b)

32g

c)

0.0625g

d)

4g

89.

Identify the type of nuclear decay shown here

21483Bi → 0-1e + 21484Po

a)

alpha

b)

beta

c)

gamma

90.
When a nucleus undergoes nuclear decay by gamma rays, the atomic number of the element....
a)
remains the same
b)
  decreases by one.
c)
increases by one.
d)
increases by two.
91.
The half-life of strontium-90 is 25 years. How much strontium-90 will remain after 100 years if the initial amount is 4.0 g?
a)
3.0g
b)
0.25mg
c)
0.3g
d)
0.25g
92.
The type of radioactive particle that can be stopped by a sheet of paper is the ____.
a)
alpha particle
b)
beta particle
c)
gamma ray
d)
uranium
93.
The three types of nuclear radiation in increasing order of penetrating power are ____.  
a)
  alpha, beta, gamma 
b)
X ray, beta, gamma
c)
alpha, gamma, beta 
d)
X ray, gamma, beta 
94.

__________________ is the process in which two or more smaller nuclei combine to create a larger, more stable nuclei.

a)

Nuclear Decay

b)

Nuclear Fission

c)

Nuclear Fusion

d)

None of the above

95.

What is the major drawback to fission power?

a)

Radioactive Waste

b)

CO2 Emissions

c)

SO2 Emissions

d)

All of the Above

96.

___________ starts the fission of a uranium atom.

a)

Energy

b)

Protons

c)

One Neutron

d)

All of the above

97.
Hydrogen is the primary fuel
a)
Fission
b)
Fusion
c)
Radioactive Decay
98.
Very high temperature and pressure required
a)
Fission
b)
 Fusion
c)
Radioactive Decay
99.

What is the role of the control rods in a nuclear reactor?

a)

Absorb Gamma Radiation

b)

Release Alpha Particles

c)

Fuse Unstable Nuclei

d)

Absorb Neutrons

100.

What is the role of the moderator in an nuclear reactor?

a)

Increase kinetic energy of neutrons

b)

Watch out for nasty nasty comments posted by the neutrons

c)

Slow neutrons to thermal neutrons so they can be absorbed by uranium

d)

absorb neutrons so they do not go to create a chain reaction

101.

A radioactive source emits radiation that can pass through a sheet of paper but not through thick aluminium. What does this show about the radiation?

a)

It is alpha-particles.

b)

It is beta-particles.

c)

It is gamma-rays.

d)

It is a mixture of alpha-particles and gamma-rays

102.

Which line in the table describes the nature of an alpha-particle and a gamma-ray?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

103.

A radioactive nucleus R decays with the emission of a β-particle as shown:


Which equation is correct?

a)

x = p

b)

y = q

c)

p = x – 1

d)

q = y – 1

104.

How many nucleons are in a nucleus of ?

a)

19

b)

20

c)

39

d)

58

105.

The equation shows the decay of the nuclide X:


What are the values of P and Q ?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

106.

Which type of radiation has the greatest ionising effect?

a)

α-particles

b)

β-particles

c)

γ-rays

d)

all have the same ionising effect

107.

An unstable nucleus has 145 neutrons and 92 protons. It emits a β-particle.

How many neutrons and protons does the nucleus have after emitting the β-particle?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

108.

Which particles are found in the nucleus of an atom?

a)

neutrons and protons only

b)

neutrons only

c)

protons and electrons only

d)

protons, electrons and neutrons

109.

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?

a)

α-particles

b)

β-particles

c)

γ-rays

d)

radio waves

110.

Which line in the table describes the nature of an α-particle and of a γ-ray?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

111.

A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 2 minutes. What can be deduced from this statement?

a)

After 2 minutes, half of the isotope remains.

b)

After 1 minute, half of the isotope remains.

c)

After 4 minutes, half of the isotope remains.

d)

After 4 minutes, none of the isotope remains.

112.

A detector is used to measure the count-rate near a radioactive source. The reading is 4000

counts per minute. After 30 minutes the count-rate has fallen to 500 counts per minute.

What is the half-life of the radioactive source? You may ignore the effects of background

radiation.

a)

3 minutes

b)

5 minutes

c)

6 minutes

d)

10 minutes

113.

A freshly made sample of radioactive material gives a count rate of 8000 counts per minute. After

20 days, it gives a count rate of 500 counts per minute.

What is the half-life of the material?

a)

4.0 days

b)

5.0 days

c)

20 days

d)

80 days

114.

Between 1909 and 1911, Geiger and Marsden carried out experiments in which alpha particles

were fired at metal foil. Most of the alpha particles passed through the foil with small deflections,

but some were deflected through a large angle.

These results suggest that

a)

atoms contain clouds of electrons through which some alpha particles cannot pass.

b)

atoms contain neutrons that alpha particles bounce off.

c)

atoms have positive and negative charges spread throughout their volume.

d)

atoms have positive charges concentrated in a small volume.

115.

A narrow beam of alpha-particles is fired at a thin piece of gold foil.

Which is the final direction of the largest number of alpha-particles?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

116.

The half-life of a radioisotope is 2400 years. The activity of a sample is 720 counts /s.

How long will it take for the activity to fall to 90 counts /s?

a)

300 years

b)

2400 years

c)

7200 years

d)

19 200 years

117.

What occurs in the decay of a radioactive nucleus?

a)

The nucleus absorbs another nucleus.

b)

The nucleus absorbs at least one form of radiation.

c)

The nucleus always splits into two equal fragments.

d)

The nucleus emits at least one form of radiation.

118.

A student investigates a radioactive source that emits only alpha-particles. Without any source

nearby, the detector shows a low reading. The source and thick cardboard are placed near the detector, as shown:


What is the reading on the detector now, and why?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

119.

In nuclear ……1……, hydrogen nuclei ……2…… to form helium nuclei, releasing energy.

Which words correctly complete gaps 1 and 2?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

120.

Ra decays with a half-life of 1600 s.

Rn decays with a half-life of 52 s.

Po decays with a half-life of 9.1 s.

Pb decays with a half-life of 10.6 h.

The changing count rate for one of these radioactive nuclides is shown in the graph.

From the half-life shown by the graph, which was the decaying radioactive nuclide?

a)

Ra

b)

Rn

c)

Po

d)

Pb

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