Question 1

Which of the following reactions represents the nuclear equation for the alpha decay of Kr-76?

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

A scintillation counter is more sensitive in measuring radiation than a Geiger counter.

Accepted Answer

A scintillation counter works by detecting the light produced when ionizing radiation interacts with a scintillator material, which then amplifies and detects the signal. This method is more sensitive than the Geiger counter, which detects ionizing radiation by measuring the electrical current produced in a gas.

Question 3

Ultraviolet radiation is an example of ionizing radiation.

Accepted Answer

Ultraviolet radiation is considered non-ionizing radiation; it has enough energy to cause chemical reactions and damage cells but not enough to ionize atoms by completely removing electrons.

Question 4

The half-life of a sample depends on the identity of the isotope and not the amount present while activity does depend on the amount of the sample.

Accepted Answer

The half-life of a sample is a characteristic property of a specific isotope and remains constant regardless of the amount of the sample present. However, activity (the rate at which a sample undergoes radioactive decay) is directly proportional to the amount of the sample present.

Question 5

Background radiation is ionizing radiation emitted from natural sources and essentially cannot be avoided.

Accepted Answer

Background radiation comes from natural sources such as cosmic rays, radon gas, and naturally occurring radioactive materials in soil and rocks. It is present everywhere in the environment and cannot be completely avoided.

Question 6

What is the nuclear composition of  ?

Accepted Answer

The atomic number of the element can be found from the symbol "TB" which stands for terbium and is 65. The number of neutrons in the nucleus can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, which is given in the question as 1423. Therefore, the number of neutrons is 1423-65= 1358. Thus, the nuclear composition is 12 protons and 16 neutrons. The correct answer is D.

Question 7

What is the nuclear symbol for atom that contains 30 protons and 35 neutrons?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the nuclear symbol for atom...

Question 8

The decay of 1 kg of uranium produces more energy than the combustion of an identical mass of uranium.

Accepted Answer

The decay of uranium produces energy through nuclear reactions, which can produce far more energy than the chemical reactions involved in combustion. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 9

The following image could illustrate the process of nuclear fusion.

Accepted Answer

As there is no image attached, it is not possible to determine the accuracy of the statement. However, if an appropriate image illustrating the process of nuclear fusion was provided, it could be used to support the statement.

Question 10

The fusion of deuterium (  ) and tritium (  ) holds some promise as a source of nuclear energy. If a neutron is produced, the other product of the reaction is  .

Accepted Answer

The answer of The fusion of deuterium (  )...

Question 11

Consider the graph of activity versus time for a naturally occurring isotope.  The half-life of this isotope is between 80 and 120 hours.

Accepted Answer

Without seeing the graph, it is impossible to determine the correctness of this statement. However, even if the graph showed a clear exponential decay, the statement is still false as the half-life of an isotope cannot be both between 80 and 120 hours simultaneously. It must be a specific value within that range.

Question 12

The chemical symbol for a positron is:

Accepted Answer

The chemical symbol for a positron is "e+" or "β+"; it does not have a long and complex representation like the one given.

Question 13

The following correctly applies to balancing nuclear equations.
"The sums of the mass numbers of the products and reactants must be equal."

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The mass number of an atom is the sum of its protons and neutrons. In a nuclear equation, the number of protons and neutrons in the reactants must be equal to the number of protons and neutrons in the products, in order to conserve mass.

Question 14

A reaction produces  when one mole of reactant is converted to product. This reaction is likely to be a chemical reaction.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A reaction produces  when one mole...

Question 15

The following represents a nuclear reaction.

Accepted Answer

The given string is not descriptive enough to determine the validity of the statement. It is possible that it represents a nuclear reaction, but without additional context, it is impossible to confirm.

Question 16

In medicine, an equivalent dose commonly has units of μCi while activity has units of mrem.

Accepted Answer

In medicine, an equivalent dose commonly has units of mrem while activity has units of μCi.

Question 17

The following image depicts beta decay.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The following image depicts beta decay. ...

Question 18

The following reaction would be classified alpha decay.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The following reaction would be classified alpha...

Question 19

In the following reaction,  another name for the ion in the product would be a radical.

Accepted Answer

A radical is a molecule or ion that contains at least one unpaired electron. In the given reaction, the product contains an ion with an unpaired electron, which qualifies it to be called a radical.

Question 20

The nuclear symbol for an americium atom with a mass number of 243 is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The nuclear symbol for an americium atom...

Quiz 8: Nuclear Chemistry