Deck 13: Nuclear Changes and Nuclear Power

Question 1

The product of the beta ( ) decay of thorium-234 is

A) uranium-238.
B) protactinium-234.
C) uranium-234.
D) uranium-235.

Answer 1

protactinium-234.

Question 2

What is the nucleus produced when beryllium-9, ( ), fuses with helium-4?

A) oxygen-17
B) carbon-13
C) carbon-14
D) carbon-12

Answer 2

carbon-13

Question 3

Which type of radiation is the most penetrating?

A) gamma
B) alpha
C) beta
D) all have about the same penetrating power

Answer 3

gamma

Question 4

Radon in the air arises from

A) sun's ultraviolet radiation that enters earth's atmosphere.
B) radioactive decay of uranium in the soil.
C) increased use of microwave devices by humans.
D) radiation produced by worldwide use of electrical power lines.

Question 5

Cobalt-60

A) is used to treat cancerous tumors.
B) decays to both beta particles and gamma rays.
C) is a relatively stable isotope.
D) All of the above characterize cobalt-60.

Question 6

Who first discovered radioactivity?

A) Ernest Rutherford
B) Max Planck
C) Marie Curie
D) Henri Becquerel

Question 7

What type of particle is emitted when a U-235 decays to Np-235?

A) alpha particle
B) beta particle
C) neutron
D) helium nuclei

Question 8

Stable nuclei (that is, nonradioactive nuclei) have mass numbers that are

A) equal to the atomic number.
B) twice as large as the atomic number or even larger.
C) ten times the atomic number.
D) less than twice as large as the atomic number.

Question 9

Which is larger in terms of radioactive disintegrations per second?

A) one millicurie
B) one microcurie
C) one curie
D) one picocurie

Question 10

In the symbol ²³⁸U, the 238 is

A) the mass number.
B) the atomic number.
C) the number of neutrons in the atom.
D) the number of protons in the atom.

Question 11

To make an alpha particle fuse with the nucleus of another atom, you need to

A) aim carefully.
B) give the alpha particle a negative charge.
C) give the alpha particle a large amount of energy.
D) slow the particles down by cooling.

Question 12

Who was first to produce and describe an artificial nuclear reaction with the bombardment of nitrogen with alpha particles?

A) Geiger
B) Wilson
C) Rutherford
D) Chadwick

Question 13

The product of the alpha ( ) decay of uranium-238 is

A) Th-234.
B) Th-230.
C) U-234.
D) U-242.

Question 14

The nuclear reaction that changes one element into another element is called a

A) chemical reaction.
B) half-life.
C) transmutation.
D) decay series.

Question 15

If the half-life of an element is 5 days and 100 milligrams of that element is initially available, how many milligrams of the element are present after 25 days?

A) 50 mg
B) 100/25 mg
C) 100/32 mg
D) 100/64 mg

Question 16

What is the ultimate radioactive decay product of the uranium-238 series?

A) radon gas
B) lead
C) uranium-235
D) alpha particles

Question 17

How many atoms of zinc-69 remain after a sample of 500,000 zinc-69 atoms decays for a period of 165 minutes? The half-life time for zinc-69 is 55 minutes.

A) 500,000 atoms
B) 62,500 atoms
C) 250,000 atoms
D) 125,000 atoms

Question 18

Which is generally not associated with nuclear reactions?

A) outer electrons
B) atomic number
C) atomic mass
D) the nucleus

Question 19

What is the "stable" nucleus produced at the end of the decay steps in the uranium decay series?

A) thorium
B) uranium
C) radon
D) lead

Question 20

The first transuranium element to be discovered was

A) Np.
B) Pu.
C) Hf.
D) Am.

Question 21

A major, unsolved problem with nuclear energy is

A) cost.
B) engineering problems with design reactors.
C) acquiring land on which to build nuclear reactors.
D) what to do with nuclear wastes with long half-lives.

Question 22

What produces the tremendous energy of a nuclear fission reaction?

A) some mass being changed into energy
B) the splitting of the nucleus
C) the extra neutrons produced
D) disintegration of the containment building

Question 23

Which is true about fusion?

A) Very high temperatures are required.
B) Fusion occurs in a plasma of charged particles.
C) Fusion produces fewer radioactive byproducts.
D) All statements are true.

Question 24

In 1934, when the Curies bombarded Al-27 with an alpha particle ( ), the element produced was

A) silicon-29 and a neutron.
B) phosphorus-30 and a neutron.
C) silicon-29 and a positron.
D) phosphorus-30 and a positron.

Question 25

The missing nucleus in the equation shown below is

A) U.
B) Ra.
C) Ra.
D) U.

Question 26

When the nucleus of an atom of uranium-238 emits an alpha particle, the mass number will

A) decrease by 4 units.
B) decrease by 2 units.
C) increase by 4 units.
D) increase by 2 units.

Question 27

The binding energy of a nucleus is

A) the energy emitted when separate neutrons, protons, and electrons combine to form an atom.
B) the energy required to dissociate an atom into separate neutrons, protons, and neutrons.
C) equivalent to a quantity of mass expressed by Einstein's equation, E = mc².
D) All of the preceding answers are correct.

Question 28

Tritium, H-3, and hydrogen, H-1, are

A) fission reactants.
B) fission products.
C) fusion reactants.
D) fusion products.

Question 29

Which statement is not true about fission?

A) combination of atomic nuclei
B) process requires initiation by a neutron
C) a chain reaction
D) products have smaller nuclei than reactants

Question 30

The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has approved the use of food irradiation to prevent the growth of bacteria, molds, and yeasts in which of the following foods.

A) uncooked beef
B) uncooked pork
C) uncooked poultry
D) all of the above

Question 31

When a radioactive sample decays for 2 half-lives the amount remaining will be ____ of the original.

A) 1/4
B) 1/2
C) 1/8
D) unpredictable

Question 32

In terms of nuclear stability, which of the following atoms is the most stable?

A) Fe
B) H
C) U
D) element 109

Question 33

The fusion of nuclei requires

A) a critical mass.
B) plasma at extremely high temperatures.
C) heavy nuclei.
D) slow moving (thermal) neutrons.

Question 34

The splitting of a nucleus by a slow moving neutron is called

A) fission.
B) fusion.
C) fragmentation.
D) annihilation.

Question 35

Which component of a nuclear reactor slows the speed of the neutron?

A) shield
B) heat-transfer fluid
C) moderator
D) uranium fuel

Question 36

Gamma radiation from cobalt-60 or cesium-137 is used in

A) agricultural research.
B) dating charcoal paintings.
C) food irradiation.
D) medical imaging.

Question 37

Which is not true about plutonium-239?

A) an unavoidable by-product in nuclear energy production
B) short half-life
C) fissionable
D) used in nuclear war heads

Question 38

The quantity, 37,000 disintegrations per second (dps), is

A) 1 curie.
B) 1 microcurie.
C) half-life of carbon-14.
D) 1 bequerel.

Question 39

Which atom can undergo fission by thermal neutrons?

A) U-235
B) U-238
C) I-131
D) H-3

Question 40

Which of the following countries generates the least amount of electricity by nuclear fission?

A) France
B) Sweden
C) United States
D) Belgium

Question 41

The missing nucleus in the equation shown below is

A) U.
B) Ra.
C) Ra.
D) U.

Question 42

Which of the following is not a current application of radioactivity?

A) food irradiation
B) radiocarbon dating
C) medical imaging
D) electrical energy from fusion reactions

Question 43

Which of the following characterizes a gamma ray?

A) is more penetrating than a alpha ray
B) is attracted to the positively charged plate in an electric field
C) is composed of electrons
D) is not deflected by an electric field
E) Two of the above are correct.

Question 44

Consider the following atomic level depiction of a reaction.
This reaction

A) is a fusion reaction.
B) would be an example of a chain reaction.
C) is initiated by $\alpha$ decay.
D) utilizes the most abundant isotope of uranium

Question 45

The product of the gamma decay of lead-210 is

A) bismuth-210.
B) lead-210.
C) bismuth 209.
D) lead-209.

Question 46

What type of particle is emitted when a Po-210 decays to Pb-206?

A) alpha particle
B) beta particle
C) neutron
D) helium nuclei
E) either a or d

Question 47

Which of the following characterizes an alpha particle?

A) is more penetrating than a gamma ray
B) is attracted to the negitively charge plate in an electric field
C) carries a negative charge
D) is composed of electrons
E) Two of the above are corrected.

Question 48

Rank the following types of radiation from least penetrating to most penetrating: $\alpha$$\beta$$\gamma$

A) " $\alpha$ < $\beta$ < $\gamma$ "
B) " $\beta$ < $\gamma$ < $\alpha$ "
C) " $\gamma$ < $\beta$ < $\alpha$ "
D) " $\alpha$ < $\gamma$ < $\beta$ "
E) " $\beta$ < $\alpha$ < $\gamma$ "

Question 49

Identify the atoms that could be used in nuclear fission and fusion, respectively?

A) C-14 and H-3
B) Rn-222 and H-3
C) Rn-222 and U-238
D) Fe-56 and H-1

Question 50

When the lead-210 undergoes beta decay, the symbol of the other product of the reaction is:

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Question 51

Is it possible to determine the age of an artifact that is estimated to be 100,000 years old by radiocarbon dating?

A) Yes, because the half-life of carbon is 5730 years
B) No, because the half-life of carbon is only 12 years
C) Yes, because the amount of carbon remaining is very high
D) No, because the amount of carbon remaining is very low

Question 52

Chernobyl is the site of a 1986 nuclear reactor accident that

A) killed 4300 workers who cleaned up the site.
B) occurred near Kiev, Ukraine.
C) occurred when the graphite (carbon) core caught fire.
D) all of these

Question 53

Identify the high-level radioactive waste?

A) weapons industry waste
B) laboratory clothing waste
C) medical waste
D) smoke detector waste

Question 54

Short half-lives are the results of high rates of decay, and long half-fives are the results of low rates of decay.

Question 55

Which type of radiation can penetrate a thin piece of lead?

A) gamma
B) alpha
C) beta
D) all the above

Question 56

If the half-life of an element is 12 years. How much of a 5.00 g sample remains after 36 years?

A) 2.50
B) 1.25
C) 0.625
D) 0.313

Question 57

Which of the following characterizes a beta particle?

A) is more penetrating than a gamma ray
B) is attracted to the positively charged plate in an electric field
C) carries a positive charge
D) is a product of natural radioactive decay
E) Two of the above are correct.

Question 58

The EPA warns that 8 million homes in the U.S. may have radon contamination higher than the "action level". Why is radon a concern?

A) It is linked to breast cancer.
B) It is linked to lung cancer.
C) It is linked to prostrate cancer.
D) all of these

Question 59

Which type of radiation has no charge or mass?

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

Question 60

What is the process in which neutrons from one fission reaction can cause multiple fission reactions in nearby nuclei?

A) critical mass
B) radiocarbon dating
C) chain reaction
D) binding energy

Question 61

The mass numbers of stable isotopes are always twice as large (or larger) than the atomic number.

Question 62

Elements with an atomic number greater than 83 are unstable.

Question 63

The following represents a correct conversion factor.
1 Ci = 10⁶ dps

Question 64

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
After 20 hours, ______mg of sample X will remain.

Question 65

$\beta$ emission occurs in isotopes that have too many neutrons to be stable..

Question 66

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
After 60 hours, ______mg of sample X will remain.

Question 67

After three half-lives, of the original radioactive sample remains.

Question 68

A transuranium element is a naturally occurring element with more the 92 neutrons.

Question 69

Beta particles, positrons and gamma rays all are considered to have a mass of 0.

Question 70

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
At 80 hours, _____half-lives will have occurred.

Question 71

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
If the 750 mg sample of element X had been used, the half-life would be ______hours.

Question 72

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
If a 500. mg sample of element X had been used, _____mg would remain after 60 hours.

Question 73

Consider the following graph. Answer the following questions based on this graph.
The half-life of element X is _____hours.