Nuclear Practice Quest
Radioactivity Practice Test
1. What is one of the characteristics that helps to determine whether an isotope is radioactive?
A. the speed at which particles escape from its nucleus
B. its atomic mass
C. the ratio of neutrons to protons
D. the ratio of alpha particles to beta particles
2. Rank alpha, beta, and gamma radiation by their abilities to penetrate materials, from most penetrating to least penetrating.
A. alpha > beta > gamma
B. gamma > beta = alpha
C. alpha > gamma > beta
D.
gamma > beta > alpha
3. Isotopes that give off alpha or beta particles change from one element to another. What is this process called?
A.
transmutation
B.
radioactive dating
C.
nuclear fission
D.
nuclear fusion
4. Half-life measures _____.
A.
the lifespan of a person who has been exposed to radioactive materials
B.
the number of years an extinct animal lived on Earth
C.
the time required for half of a sample of radioactive material to decay
D.
the amount of a radioactive sample that will remain after half a year
5. Animals get carbon-14 in their body tissues by _____.
A.
wandering too close to nuclear power plants
B.
consuming fossil fuels
C.
breathing in carbon dioxide
D.
eating plants or other animals
6. What two things must scientists know to estimate the age of a fossil using carbon-14 dating?
A.
half-life of carbon-14 and the amount of carbon-14 in the material
B.
animal’s age when it died and whether it ate plants or meat
C.
half-life of carbon-14 and how much carbon-14 the animal ate during its life
D.
amount of carbon remaining in the fossil and the cause of death
8. When the nucleus of a uranium-235 atom is split apart in the process called nuclear fission, what happens to some of its mass?
A.
It disappears.
B.
It is converted into energy.
C.
It combines with the nucleus of another atom.
D.
It is converted to carbon-14.
9. Why are nuclear fusion reactions difficult to bring about?
A.
They require extremely high temperatures.
B.
They require hydrogen, which is a scarce resource.
C.
They involve chain reactions, which consume tremendous amounts of energy.
D.
Earth’s atmosphere interferes with the process.
11. An alpha particle is a(n) _____.
A.
electron
B.
helium nucleus
C.
positron
D.
hydrogen nucleus
12. When a neutron decays, the electron produced is called ______.
A.
an alpha particle
B.
a beta particle
C.
gamma radiation
D.
both an alpha particle and gamma radiation
13. Carbon-14 dating could be used to date _______.
A.
an ancient marble column
B.
dinosaur fossils
C.
an ancient Roman scroll
D.
earth’s oldest rocks
14. A _____ is an ongoing series of fission reactions.
A.
fusion reaction
B.
positron emission
C.
chain reaction
D.
decay reaction
15. The sun is powered by ______.
A.
nuclear decay
B.
nuclear fission
C.
thermonuclear fusion
D.
combustion
Short Answer:
17. Explain how nuclear reactions are used to make electricity (you can draw a diagram). What type of reaction is used?
18. How is the chain reaction in a power plant different than that of a bomb? Explain in detail what makes it different.
19. Write the equations for the following nuclear decay processes.
a. The alpha decay of Po-218
b. The beta decay of Bi-214
c. The decay of C-14 through positron emission
d. The decay of B-9 through electron capture
20. Compare and contrast positron emission and electron capture
21. How old is a dinosaur fossil if it has only 3.125% of its original C-14 left? (Half life of C-14 is 5,730 years)
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