Deck 11: Nuclear Physics

Question 1

The symbol indicating the atomic number of a nucleus is A.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Alpha,beta,and gamma particles are all deflected by a magnetic field.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

When a nucleus in an excited state decays to the ground state,a beta particle is emitted.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

When radium-223 (Z = 88)decays to radon-119 (Z = 86),an alpha particle is emitted.

Question 5

The time interval during which a nucleus has a 50% probability of decaying is its half-life.

Question 6

An alpha particle is another name for a helium nucleus.

Question 7

The symbol indicating the number of nucleons in a nucleus is N.

Question 8

The symbol indicating the number of protons in a nucleus is N.

Question 9

When a neutron decays to a proton,a beta particle is emitted.

Question 10

When sulfur-35 (Z = 16)decays to chlorine-35 (Z = 17),an alpha particle is emitted.

Question 11

The atomic number equals the number of protons in a nucleus.

Question 12

Helium always has two neutrons in its nucleus.

Question 13

The number of protons in a nucleus equals the number of neutrons.

Question 14

Two isotopes have the same mass number.

Question 15

In the case of alpha decay,the atomic number of the nucleus increases.

Question 16

A beta particle is another name for a helium nucleus.

Question 17

The symbol indicating the mass number of a nucleus is A.

Question 18

A gamma ray is another name for an electron.

Question 19

The symbol indicating the number of neutrons in a nucleus is N.

Question 20

If one waits for a time equal to two half-lives for a certain radioactive material,all of it originally present will have decayed completely.

Question 21

Atomic bombs and nuclear power plants both use nuclear fusion.

Question 22

Fusion of hydrogen nuclei is the origin of solar energy.

Question 23

The splitting of a large nucleus into two smaller nuclei upon absorbing a neutron is nuclear fusion.

Question 24

Fusion is used to produce the largest nuclei known to exist.

Question 25

A Geiger counter registers a count rate of 8,000 counts per minute from a sample of a radioisotope.The count rate 24 minutes later is 1,000 counts per minute.The half-life of the radioisotope is 8 minutes.

Question 26

The combining of two nuclei to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy is nuclear fusion.

Question 27

Gamma radiation is used to kill harmful bacteria in food.

Question 28

The determination of the composition of a material by bombarding it with neutrons and monitoring the emitted radiation is neutron activation analysis.

Question 29

The product of a radioactive decay is called the "daughter."

Question 30

The mass of an atom of carbon-12 (Z = 6)is less than the mass of 6 protons and 6 neutrons because of binding energy.

Question 31

Both nuclear reactors and atomic bombs use nuclear chain reactions.

Question 32

Nuclear fusion is the source of energy in stars.

Question 33

A nuclear reactor could explode like an atomic bomb.

Question 34

The half-life of uranium-232 is 70 years.The time for 3/4 of a sample of uranium-232 to decay is 105 years.

Question 35

Fission fragments are always identical.

Question 36

The hydrogen in the universe was formed by the energy of the Big Bang.

Question 37

When uranium-238 (Z = 92)is bombarded with a neutron,it can change into uranium-237.

Question 38

The half-life indicates how tightly the nucleons in a nucleus are bound together.

Question 39

Magnetic confinement is used in controlled fusion experiments to control a plasma.

Question 40

Carbon-14 dating can be used to find the age of material up to millions of years old.

Question 41

The expression(s)indicating the number of protons in a nucleus is

A)A.
B)N.
C)Z.
D)Z + N.
E)A - Z.

Question 42

After three half-lives,3/4 of the nuclei in a sample of a radioisotope have decayed

Question 43

An alpha particle is like
with 2 protons and 2 neutrons,whereas a beta particle is equivalent to hydrogen.

Question 44

How big is the nucleus of an atom?

A)about 1% of the volume of the whole atom
B)about a millionth of the volume of the whole atom
C)about a billionth of the volume of the whole atom
D)about a trillionth of the volume of the whole atom

Question 45

What's an isotope?

A)a radioactive material
B)an atom of an element with a different number of neutrons in the nucleus
C)an electrically charged atom
D)none of the above

Question 46

An alpha particle is another name for a(n)

A)electron.
B)proton.
C)neutron.
D)helium nucleus.
E)photon.

Question 47

Why is nuclear reactor waste radioactive?

A)Radiation from the reactor makes everything in or near it radioactive.
B)Used fuel rods contain fission fragments which are radioactive.
C)Spent fuel rods pick up contamination from the reactor.
D)all of the above

Question 48

A gamma ray is another name for a(n)

A)electron.
B)proton.
C)neutron.
D)helium nucleus.
E)photon.

Question 49

What holds the nucleus together?

A)electrical forces between the protons
B)alpha particles
C)beta particles
D)strong forces

Question 50

The energy of nuclear radiation as it is absorbed mostly goes to heat the material.

Question 51

Two isotopes have the same

A)mass number.
B)neutron number.
C)atomic number.
D)quantum number.
E)none of the above

Question 52

Einstein's equation E = mc² states that when a particle loses energy,the result is an increase in mass of the particle.

Question 53

What is
?

A)There is no such thing.
B)an isotope of carbon with 7 neutrons and 12 protons
C)an isotope of carbon with 7 neutrons and 5 protons
D)an isotope of carbon with 5 neutrons and 7 protons

Question 54

A beta particle is another name for a(n)

A)electron.
B)proton.
C)neutron.
D)helium nucleus.
E)photon.

Question 55

What does the 235 represent in uranium-235?

A)the mass number
B)the atomic number
C)the neutron number
D)none of the above

Question 56

The expression(s)indicating the atomic number of a nucleus is

A)A.
B)N.
C)Z.
D)Z + N.
E)A - Z.

Question 57

The number of protons in a nucleus is the

A)mass number.
B)neutron number.
C)atomic number.
D)isotope number.
E)none of the above

Question 58

How can an electron be ejected from a nucleus in beta decay if it wasn't in the nucleus to begin with?

A)The electron doesn't come from the nucleus-it comes from an orbit circling the nucleus.
B)A neutron in the nucleus turns into a proton,electron,and a neutrino.
C)A proton in the nucleus turns into a neutron,electron,and a neutrino.
D)none of the above

Question 59

Low levels of ionizing radiation

A)are dangerous to the human body.
B)can be tolerated by the human body.
C)are beneficial to the human body.
D)none of the above

Question 60

If someone tells you they have a sample of niobium-90,can you tell how many neutrons are in the nucleus?

A)Yes,there are 41 neutrons.
B)Yes,there are 90 neutrons.
C)Yes,there are 49 neutrons.
D)No,more information must be given.
E)No,there is no such thing as "niobium."

Question 61

Which of the following is not a method of producing nuclear fusion?

A)heating a magnetically confined plasma
B)forcing nuclei together using lasers
C)cooling nuclei to very cold temperatures
D)forcing nuclei together with a nuclear fission explosion

Question 62

The half-life of uranium-232 is 70 years.The time for 3/4 of a sample of uranium-232 to decay is

A)35 years.
B)70 years.
C)125 years.
D)140 years.
E)none of the above.

Question 63

When radium-223 (Z = 88)decays to radon-119 (Z = 86),the other particle emitted is

A)an alpha particle.
B)a beta particle.
C)a gamma ray.
D)an x-ray.
E)none of the above.

Question 64

What does the moderator do in a nuclear reactor?

A)It is a safety feature that limits the nuclear reaction.
B)It absorbs neutrons.
C)It slows down neutrons.
D)none of the above

Question 65

When sulfur-35 (Z = 16)decays to chlorine-35 (Z = 17),a particle emitted is

A)an alpha particle.
B)a beta particle.
C)a gamma ray.
D)an x-ray.
E)none of the above.

Question 66

A Geiger counter registers a count rate of 8,000 counts per minute from a sample of a radioisotope.The count rate 24 minutes later is 1,000 counts per minute.The half-life of the radioisotope is

A)3 minutes.
B)4 minutes.
C)6 minutes.
D)8 minutes.
E)12 minutes.

Question 67

The combining of two nuclei to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy is

A)nuclear fission.
B)nuclear fusion.
C)neutron activation.
D)nuclear emission.
E)beta decay.

Question 68

When a neutron decays to create a proton,another particle emitted is

A)an alpha particle.
B)a beta particle.
C)a gamma ray.
D)an x-ray.
E)none of the above.

Question 69

How tightly the nucleons in a nucleus are bound together is indicated by the nucleus's

A)atomic number.
B)mass number.
C)neutron number.
D)half-life.
E)binding energy.

Question 70

The splitting of a large nucleus into two smaller nuclei upon absorbing a neutron is

A)nuclear fission.
B)nuclear fusion.
C)neutron activation.
D)nuclear emission.
E)beta decay.

Question 71

Carbon-14 dating can be used to find the age of material up to ____________ of years old.

A)millions
B)billions
C)hundreds of thousands
D)tens of thousands

Question 72

The hydrogen in the universe was formed by

A)the energy of the Big Bang.
B)nuclear fusion reactions in stars.
C)radioactive decay of heavy elements.
D)none of the above.

Question 73

What do you do to the control rods of a reactor in order to shut it down?

A)push them into the core
B)pull them out of the core
C)nothing-it's the cooling water that shuts down the reactor
D)none of the above

Question 74

When a nucleus in an excited state decays to the ground state,the particle emitted is

A)an alpha particle.
B)a beta particle.
C)a gamma ray.
D)an x-ray.
E)none of the above.

Question 75

Why is there a radioactive source in a smoke detector?

A)It makes the smoke particles radioactive.
B)It ionizes the air.
C)It powers the alarm when the battery wears out.
D)none of the above

Question 76

What do "kiloton" and "megaton" refer to?

A)explosive yields of nuclear weapons
B)kiloton means 1000 tons of TNT
C)megaton means one million tons of TNT
D)all of the above

Question 77

The time interval during which a nucleus has a 50% probability of decaying is its

A)half-life.
B)decay time.
C)nuclei activation time.
D)binding energy time.
E)none of the above.

Question 78

What's a decay chain?

A)a nuclear chain reaction
B)one radioisotope decaying into another,which decays into another,and so on
C)the triggering of multiple fissions by a single neutron
D)none of the above

Question 79

The determination of the composition of a material by bombarding it with neutrons and monitoring the emitted radiation is

A)nuclear fission analysis.
B)nuclear fusion analysis.
C)neutron activation analysis.
D)nuclear emission analysis.
E)beta decay analysis.

Question 80

Which of the following is not the usual outcome of nuclear fission?

A)The binding energy per nucleon of the fission fragments is smaller than that of the original nucleus.
B)Energy is released.
C)Neutrons are released.
D)The fission fragments are radioactive.