Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between radiation and radioactivity?

Accepted Answer

Radioactivity is a subset of radiation.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about X-rays is correct?

Accepted Answer

X-rays are emitted by the de-excitation of the innermost orbital electrons of atoms.

Question 3

Which of the following types of radiation is the most penetrating?

Accepted Answer

Gamma rays

Question 4

What happens to the atomic number of an element when it undergoes alpha decay?

Accepted Answer

It reduces by 2.

Question 5

Which of the following is actually a high-speed electron?

Accepted Answer

Beta particle

Question 6

Which of the following causes an atom to change into a different element?

Accepted Answer

Alpha decay and beta decay

Question 7

Which of the following statements about environmental radiation is true?

Accepted Answer

All of the above.

Question 8

If a radioactive isotope has a half-life of 6 years, how much of a 20 g sample remains after 12 years?

Accepted Answer

$$5\ \mathrm{g}$$

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the strong force?

Accepted Answer

A short-range force in the nucleus that holds nucleons together.

Question 10

What is the main reason Colorado has a higher average annual radiation exposure than most states?

Accepted Answer

Higher altitude and uranium-rich ground.

Question 11

Which of the following is the nucleus of a helium atom?

Accepted Answer

Alpha particle

Question 12

When an element ejects a beta particle, the atomic number of that element:

Accepted Answer

Increases by 1.

Question 13

Which of the following is a correct statement about isotopes of the same element?

Accepted Answer

They have similar chemical properties but different nuclear properties.

Question 14

Which of the following is used to estimate the age of organic materials by comparing the ratio of two isotopes?

Accepted Answer

Carbon dating

Question 15

Suppose the number of neutrons in a reactor doubles each minute, reaching $$1 	imes 10^9$ neutrons in 10 minutes. When did the number of neutrons reach 5$$ 	imes $$10^8$$?

Accepted Answer

9 minutes

Question 16

Which of the following is true about gamma decay?

Accepted Answer

The atomic number stays the same.

Question 17

Carbon-14 decays into which of the following via beta decay?

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen-14

Question 18

If a nitrogen-14 nucleus absorbs a neutron and emits a proton, what is the resulting nucleus?

Accepted Answer

Carbon-14

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why all elements with atomic number greater than 82 are radioactive?

Accepted Answer

The strong force is less effective in large nuclei, making them unstable.

Question 20

A sample contains 100 g of C-12 and 2.5 g of C-14. If the C-12 to C-14 ratio in living material is 10:1 and the half-life of C-14 is 6000 years, how old is the artifact?

Accepted Answer

$$12,000$$ years

The Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity: Structure, Forces, and Applications

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