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Radioactive Decay and Half-Life

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

After the nucleus of a radioactive element undergoes changes, the element can transform into ...

a)

  (a)  a different isotope of the same element.

b)

(b) an entirely different element.

c)

Both (a) and (b)

d)

Neither (a) nor (b)

2.

For which of the following problems would a scientist most likely use carbon-14?

a)

to calculate the age of the Earth's oldest rocks

b)

to calculate the age of a piece of bone 

c)

to identify the elements that make up a rock 

d)

to identify the elements that make up a bone

3.

Which of the following is NOT a reason to use Carbon-14 in dating a mastodont bone?

a)

C-14 decays at a predictable rate

b)

The mastodont bone is less than 50,000 years old

c)

C-14 is used to date recent organic remains

d)

C-14 is used in medical procedures

4.

Identify the element formed when Carbon-14 undergoes radioactive decay.

a)

U-238

b)

N-14

c)

Ru-87

d)

C-14

5.

time taken for the number of undecayed nuclei to be reduced to half of its original value this is also known as

(a)  

6.

If 10 mg of iodine 131 is given to a patient, how much is left after 24 days? The half-life of iodine-131 is 8 days.

a)

25mg

b)

25g

c)

10g

d)

10mg

7.

What is the half-life of iodine-131?

a)

32 days

b)

8 days

c)

16 days

d)

24 days

8.

Which of the following are radioactive radiation?

a)

alpha, α

b)

theta, θ

c)

beta, β

d)

gamma, γ

e)

delta, δ

9.

Which of the following are radioactive radiation in the form of particle?

a)

alpha, α

b)

theta, θ

c)

beta, β

d)

gamma, γ

e)

delta, δ

10.

Which of the following are radioactive radiation in the form of radioactive ray?

a)

alpha, α

b)

theta, θ

c)

beta, β

d)

gamma, γ

e)

delta, δ

11.

SI unit for radioactivity

a)

Aq

b)

Bq

c)

Ci

d)

Fahrenheit

12.

Unstable atoms will become stable atoms after undergoing decay and releasing radioactive radiation.

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

13.

The scientist that was involved in discovered polonium and radium :

a)

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen

b)

Antoine Henri Becquerel

c)

Marie Curie

d)

James Watson

14.

What is the half-life of a radioactive substance if it takes 40 days for a 100g sample to decay to 25g?

a)

10 days

b)

20 days

c)

40 days

d)

80 days

15.

Which of the following best describes the process of radioactive decay?

a)

A stable nucleus emits a neutron and becomes unstable.

b)

An unstable nucleus emits radiation and becomes more stable.

c)

A stable nucleus absorbs a proton and becomes unstable.

d)

An unstable nucleus absorbs radiation and becomes more unstable.