Deck 10: Radioactivity and Nuclear Processes

Question 1

Which is the explanation for the difference between the two isotopes of carbon, C-12 and C-14?

A)C-14 contains 2 more protons than does C-12.
B)C-14 contains 1 proton and 1 neutron more than does C-12.
C)C-14 contains 2 more neutrons than does C-12.
D)C-14 contains 2 more electrons than does C-12.

Answer 1

C-14 contains 2 more neutrons than does C-12.

Question 2

The number of neutrons in the nucleus of the isotope is _____ .

A)11
B)22
C)12
D)32

Answer 2

11

Question 3

Which of the following consists of a stream of charged particles?

A)alpha rays
B)beta rays
C)gamma rays
D)More than one response is correct.

Answer 3

More than one response is correct.

Question 4

Sodium-24 has a half-life of 15.0 hours. Suppose you had a sample containing 0.010 moles of Na-24. How many hours would be required to reduce your sample to 6.25 × 10 ^{− 4} moles?

A)120
B)60
C)45
D)30

Question 5

Which of the following is not a nuclear reaction?

A)fusion
B)radioactive decay
C)fission
D)redox

Question 6

What is the nuclear composition of ?

A)12 neutrons and 28 protons
B)12 neutrons and 16 protons
C)12 protons and 28 neutrons
D)12 protons and 16 neutrons

Question 7

Carbon-14 dating is a useful tool for determining the age of the artifacts of ancient civilizations. However, when future archeologists study ruins of our civilization, they obtain confusing results -- with some artifacts dating MUCH older than others. Which of the following would be an explanation for these results?

A)Variations in the Sun's intensity and production of cosmic rays.
B)Ecosystem changes resulting in a reduction in carbon based life.
C)The use of petroleum based synthetic materials.
D)None of the choices.

Question 8

The greatest threat posed by a nuclear (fission)power plant is

A)release of radioactive isotopes when the molten core reaches the water table.
B)fish kills resulting from use of local rivers for cooling.
C)having the core melt, ultimately reaching China.
D)thermonuclear detonation.

Question 9

Which of the responses represent the missing particle in the following reaction?

A)
B)
C)
D)

Question 10

is an alpha emitter. What is the element produced by the decay of Np-237?

A)U
B)Pa
C)Th
D)Pu

Question 11

Which of the following are made up of particles identical to electrons?

A)alpha rays
B)beta rays
C)gamma rays
D)more than one response is correct

Question 12

Nuclear emissions are passed through a tunnel that has a positive plate on the top and a negative plate on the bottom. Which of the following emissions is deflected the greatest by the electrical field?

A)α particles
B)β particles
C)neutrons
D)γ rays

Question 13

Which of the following would have the least penetrating power into matter?

A)alpha particles
B)beta particles
C)gamma rays
D)neutrons

Question 14

Tritium has a half-life of 12.5 years. If you had a sample of 8.00 grams of tritium today, how many grams of tritium would you have in 37.5 years?

A)8.00 g
B)4.00 g
C)2.00 g
D)1.00 g

Question 15

You inject a 160 lb male patient with 1.0 ml of a saline solution containing a radioactive form of sodium. It has an activity of 5.0 × 10⁴ dpm. After allowing sufficient time for the solution to mix, you remove a 1.0 ml sample of blood and measure its radioactivity. You discover it to have an activity of 11 dpm. What is the patient's blood volume? (Hint: this is similar to a M₁V₁ = M₂V₂ type problem.)

A)2.2 liters
B)3.5 liters
C)4.6 liters
D)7.0 liters

Question 16

Which of the nuclear emissions is of the greatest mass?

A)α particles
B)β particles
C)neutrons
D)positrons

Question 17

Which of the following is not attracted or repelled by electrical charges?

A)alpha rays
B)beta rays
C)gamma rays
D)More than one response is correct.

Question 18

Which of the following types of radiation is composed of particles which carry a negative charge?

A)alpha
B)beta
C)gamma
D)positron

Question 19

An individual would have to work from behind a special, thick protective wall when which kind of an emitter is involved?

A)alpha
B)beta
C)gamma
D)free radicals

Question 20

The decay of to occurs through the emission of

A)an alpha particle.
B)a beta particle.
C)a positron.
D)a proton.

Question 21

In nuclear reactions, the principle change occurs in the ______.

A)molecular bonds
B)electron arrangement
C)physical state of the matter
D)nucleus of the atom

Question 22

What is a desired characteristic of a diagnostic tracer?

A)short half-life
B)a beta emitter
C)be soluble in water
D)all of these responses are correct

Question 23

Technetium-99m is used in medical diagnosis by injecting a solution and watch for the pattern of emissions. A 0.325 g sample was injected into a person, and the emission rate indicates that there are approximately 0.01016 grams of Tc-99 left. How much time has passed since the injection? Tc-99 has a half-life of 6 hours.

A)24 hours
B)30 hours
C)36 hours
D)Not enough data.

Question 24

What is one of the advantages of food that has been irradiated to kill bacteria?

A)Some irradiated foods do not require refrigeration if in air-tight packaging.
B)Irradiation is a less expensive method of preservation than is canning.
C)Irradiation has the effect of changing the color from dull colors to vibrant colors which makes the food much more pleasing.
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 25

An isotope of zinc containing 36 neutrons is bombarded with and captures a proton.  What isotope is produced as a product of the reaction?

A)zinc-67
B)gallium-66
C)kryton-83
D)copper-65

Question 26

What are some of the symptoms of radiation sickness?

A)hemorrhage
B)nausea
C)anemia
D)all of them

Question 27

Synthetic elements can be produced by

A)the application of extremely high voltages.
B)by the bombardment of light with electrons.
C)by the bombardment of an atom by high speed neutrons.
D)All of the responses are correct.

Question 28

The term "nuclear energy" is most closely associated with which one of the following processes?

A)nuclear fusion
B)nuclear fission
C)cyclotron bombardment
D)radioactive decay

Question 29

What characteristic is important in using radioisotope dating for very old items, such as rocks suspected to be over 100,000,000 years old?

A)The radioisotope cannot be soluble in water.
B)The radioisotope must give off light for easy measurement.
C)The radioisotope in question must decay to another radioisotope.
D)The radioisotope should have a very long half-life.

Question 30

Which of the emissions can be the cause of radiation sickness?

A)α particles
B)β particles
C)neutrons
D)all of them

Question 31

Which emissions can be detected by a film badge?

A)X-rays
B)gamma
C)beta
D)all are detected

Question 32

What is the emission that is used to obtain a CAT scan?

A)alpha
B)beta
C)X-ray
D)none of these responses

Question 33

Which form of radiation would not be deflected by a magnetic field?

A)protons
B)neutrons
C)beta particles
D)positrons

Question 34

One reason that irradiated food is not readily available in most grocery stores is that

A)the cost of the irradiated foods is much higher than normally offered foods.
B)the chance of purchasing food that is still radioactive is rather high.
C)most people have not learned enough to know that they are safe.
D)All of the responses are correct.

Question 35

Free radicals are dangerous because

A)they are found incorporated in any radioisotope, including those that can enter the body through the lungs as does radon
B)they can be taken into the body in the food eaten if that food has been grown in radioactive soil
C)they are substances that are missing some electrons and are extremely active chemically
D)All of these responses are correct.

Question 36

Which technique of medical investigation presents no ionizing radiation risk to the patient?

A)X-ray
B)CAT scan
C)MRI
D)all of them

Question 37

Which of the following radioisotopes is not used as a diagnostic tracer?

A)I-131
B)Mg-24
C)Kr-81
D)Fe-59

Question 38

There are some elements within the periodic table that do not occur in nature. One of the man-made elements is _____ .

A)Ta
B)Pt
C)Tc
D)La

Question 39

What is the emission that is used to obtain an MRI?

A)alpha
B)beta
C)X-ray
D)none of them

Question 40

Which measure of radiation is used to account for health differences of various types of radiation?

A)curie
B)rem
C)gray
D)rad

Question 41

The intensity of a radiation source was measured by a Geiger-Müller counter to be 236 counts per minute when the counter was place 124 ft from the source.   What will be the intensity when the counter is 248 ft from the source?

A)59.0 counts per minute
B)236 counts per minute
C)118 counts per minute
D)472 counts per minute

Question 42

Why is radiation so harmful to living things?

A)creates free radicals which are highly reactive
B)reactions occur causing genetic mutations
C)turns the skin green
D)More than one response is correct.

Question 43

How much of a fissionable material is required to have a self-sustaining reaction?

A)A mass of the fissionable element that is three times its atomic weight is required.
B)A mass of the fissionable element that is greater than the mass of the control rods.
C)A supercritical mass of fissionable material is required and causes branching.
D)A critical mass of fissionable material is required and varies depending on the identity of the fissionable material.

Question 44

History's first critical chain reaction took place in an atomic pile. The neutrons from fission reactions caused other fission reactions to occur. What would be the most effective method to stop the fission reaction from proceeding?

A)throw water on the pile to cool the reaction
B)add more neutrons to the reaction
C)place strong neutron absorbers into the pile
D)none of the choices

Question 45

Nuclear power plants have control rods that absorb neutrons to control the reaction. What is the composition of the control rods?

A)steel
B)concrete
C)U-238
D)carbon

Question 46

What is the nature of the reactions that occur in a star?

A)They are extremely fast chemical reactions
B)They are fission reactions
C)They are a mixture of chemical & nuclear reactions
D)They are fusion reactions

Question 47

If you are a medical professional and have a chance to be exposed to many sources of radiation, which of the following units to measure biological radiation will most likely be used to express your level of total exposure?

A)roentgen
B)rad
C)gray
D)rem

Question 48

Which of the following would be the correct symbol for an americium-243 nucleus using the symbolism?

A)
B)
C)
D)

Question 49

Consider the figure below.  Which form of emitted radiation would follow the path shown by the arrow labeled 1?

A)α
B)β⁻
C)γ
D)β⁺

Question 50

Manganese can undergo several types of radioactive emission.  In which type of decay does the following reaction occur?  

A)alpha
B)beta
C)positron
D)gamma

Question 51

A patient that works at a nuclear power plant comes to you complaining of nausea and fatigue. You find out that he might have been exposed to a radiation source; what would you recommend be done?

A)Nothing, If he is still alive, there is no real problem.
B)Send the patient home to rest because nausea and fatigue are not signs of a serious exposure.
C)Have additional tests ran to find out the level of exposure.
D)Tell the patient to take two aspirins and call you in the morning, he probably has the flu.

Question 52

Sn-108 undergoes electron capture.  The product of this reaction would be _____ .

A)
B)
C)
D)

Question 53

Which of the following is a physical measurement of radioactivity?

A)gray
B)becquerel
C)rad
D)roentgen

Question 54

A radioactive isotope of a metal produced a reading of 188 Bq.  Another reading of the activity was taken 4 hours later and the reading was 47.0 Bq.  What is the half-life of this isotope?

A)4 hr
B)2 hr
C)1 hr
D)30 min

Question 55

Uranium-235, under the proper circumstances, will undergo nuclear decay releasing 3 high speed neutrons in the process.

A)The neutrons released slow down with time and are not functional.
B)The neutrons released can be used to cause fusion reactions.
C)The neutrons released can cause a chain reaction with other U-235 atoms.
D)The neutrons are recaptured by the nucleus to produce heavier atoms.

Question 56

Consider the figure below.  Which form of emitted radiation would follow the path shown by the arrow labeled 3?

A)α
B)β⁻
C)γ
D)n

Question 57

5.6 mCi would be equal to _____ .

A)3.7 × 10¹⁰ disintegrations\sec
B)2.1 × 10¹¹ disintegrations\sec
C)2.1 × 10⁸ disintegrations\sec
D)1.5 × 10^-13 disintegrations\sec

Question 58

The new nuclei produced when unstable nuclei undergo radioactive decay is referred to as the _____ .

A)father nuclei
B)daughter nuclei
C)mother nuclei
D)neighbor  nuclei

Question 59

A good radioisotope tracer for medical use should not have the following characteristic.

A)have a long half-life
B)produce penetrating gamma radiation
C)decay to a nontoxic form
D)undergo the same reactions as the nonradioactive element

Question 60

Consider the figure below.  Which form of emitted radiation would follow the path shown by the arrow labeled 2?

A)α
B)β⁻
C)γ
D)β⁺

Question 61

Film badges will detect only X-rays.

Question 62

Ionizing radiation produced fee radicals in living tissue.

Question 63

Carbon-14 is only effective in dating an object up to approximately 10 half-lives. The reason is that the speed with which C-14 decays increases after 10 half-lives.

Question 64

A rem is a biological radiation measurement which is independent of the type of radiation.

Question 65

The reasons why I-131 is not suitable for use as a tracer are the same reasons why I-131 is an appropriate choice to treat thyroid cancer.

Question 66

A patient undergoes external irradiation with Co-60 for treatment of cancer.  Which of the following would you NOT expect to observe as a result of this type of treatment?

A)diarrhea
B)hair loss
C)bone marrow destruction
D)altered blood chemistry

Question 67

A desirable characteristic of a radioisotope used as a tracer is that it produces a radioactive daughter.

Question 68

A nuclear reaction in which beta particles are emitted yields an atom that weighs 2 μ less than the starting element.

Question 69

Gamma emissions can be stopped with the use of an electromagnetic field because of their dense charge and their mass.

Question 70

Which of the following would be associated with medical testing?

A)breeder reactor
B)carbon dating
C)geochronology
D)radioimmunoassay

Question 71

Nuclear power generation relies on what type of reaction?

A)subcritical
B)critical
C)supercritical
D)thermonuclear

Question 72

Radioisotopes which emit alpha rays make the best diagnostic tracers.

Question 73

Diagnostic tracers form cool spots when they are accumulated in diseased tissue.

Question 74

A wooden box found in an Egyptian tomb could have its age determined using carbon-14.

Question 75

Increased distance between the organism and the radiation source reduces the effect of radiation.

Question 76

The intensity of radiation is 100 units 15 feet from the source. The intensity would then be 300 units 5 feet from the source.

Question 77

A dose of 600 rem is nearly always fatal.

Question 78

A major problem with attempting to measure the effect of an exposure to emissions is that each different emission has a different effect on tissue due to the differences in penetration.

Question 79

A gold artifact from Peru could have its age determined using carbon-14.

Question 80

A common use of radioisotopes is to speed up chemical reactions.