Question 1

Which type of radiation consists of two protons and two neutrons, and what is its nuclear symbol?

Accepted Answer

Alpha particle, $$^{4}_{2}\mathrm{He}$$

Question 2

A radioactive isotope emits a particle with a mass number of 0 and a charge of 1+. What type of radiation is this?

Accepted Answer

Positron

Question 3

Write the balanced nuclear equation for the alpha decay of americium-241 ($$^{241}_{95}\mathrm{Am}). $$What is the product nucleus?

Accepted Answer

$$^{241}_{95}\mathrm{Am} \$$rightarrow ^{237}$$_{93}\mathrm{Np} $$+ ^{4}$$_{2}\mathrm{He}$$

Question 4

Yttrium-90 ($$^{90}_{39}\mathrm{Y}) is $$used in cancer treatment and decays by beta emission. What is the balanced nuclear equation for this decay?

Accepted Answer

$$^{90}_{39}\mathrm{Y} \$$rightarrow ^{90}$$_{40}\mathrm{Zr} $$+ ^{0}$$_{-1}\mathrm{e}$$

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the difference between the units millicurie (mCi) and rad?

Accepted Answer

mCi measures the number of decays per second; rad measures the amount of radiation absorbed by tissue.

Question 6

A sample contains 8.0 mg of phosphorus-32 ($$^{32}_{15}\mathrm{P}) $$with a half-life of 14.3 days. How much remains after 42.9 days?

Accepted Answer

2.0 mg

Question 7

A prehistoric bone sample has 25% of the original carbon-14 activity. If the half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years, how old is the bone?

Accepted Answer

11,000 years

Question 8

Which nuclear equation represents the positron emission of manganese-49 ($$^{49}_{25}\mathrm{Mn}$$)?

Accepted Answer

$$^{49}_{25}\mathrm{Mn} \$$rightarrow ^{49}$$_{24}\mathrm{Cr} $$+ ^{0}$$_{+1}\mathrm{e}$$

Question 9

Nickel-58 ($$^{58}_{28}\mathrm{Ni}) is $$bombarded with a proton ($$^{1}_{1}\mathrm{H}) to $$produce cobalt-55 ($$^{55}_{27}\mathrm{Co}) $$and another particle. What is the other particle?

Accepted Answer

Alpha particle ($$^{4}_{2}\mathrm{He})$$

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true about nuclear fission and fusion?

Accepted Answer

Both fission and fusion release large amounts of energy.

Question 11

A patient is treated with gold-198 ($$^{198}_{79}\mathrm{Au}) $$seeds for cancer. What is the product nucleus after beta decay?

Accepted Answer

$$^{198}_{80}\mathrm{Hg}$$

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the process of radiocarbon dating?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the remaining activity of carbon-14 to estimate the time since death.

Question 13

If a piece of wood has one-eighth of its original carbon-14 activity, how many half-lives have passed?

Accepted Answer

3

Question 14

Which of the following nuclear reactions is an example of fusion?

Accepted Answer

$$^{2}_{1}\mathrm{H} $$+ ^{3}$$_{1}\mathrm{H} \$$rightarrow ^{4}$$_{2}\mathrm{He} $$+ ^{1}$$_{0}\mathrm{n}$$

Question 15

A laboratory receives 8.0 µg of iron-59 ($$^{59}_{26}\mathrm{Fe}$$), which has a half-life of 44 days. How much remains after 176 days?

Accepted Answer

0.50 µg

Question 16

Which of the following is a correct statement about the emission of a beta particle from a nucleus?

Accepted Answer

The atomic number increases by 1.

Question 17

Which of the following is the correct balanced nuclear equation for the bombardment of aluminum-27 ($$^{27}_{13}\mathrm{Al}) $$with an alpha particle ($$^{4}_{2}\mathrm{He}) to $$produce a radioactive isotope and a neutron?

Accepted Answer

$$^{27}_{13}\mathrm{Al} $$+ ^{4}$$_{2}\mathrm{He} \$$rightarrow ^{30}$$_{15}\mathrm{P} $$+ ^{1}$$_{0}\mathrm{n}$$

Nuclear Chemistry: Radiation, Nuclear Equations, and Applications

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