P7 Radioactivity

1. What is the radius of a typical atom?

a) 1 x 10^-13 m
b) 1 x 10^-3 m
c) 1 x 10^-10 m
d) 1 x 10^-6 m

2. Which two particles can be found in the nucleus of an atom?

a) photon and neutron
b) proton and electron
c) proton and neutron
d) neutron and electron

3. Which of these particles has a positive charge?

a) proton
b) neutron
c) electron
d) beta particle

4. Which of these particles has a positive charge?

a) atomic nucleus
b) beta particle
c) electron
d) neutron

5. Which of these particles has a negative charge?

a) proton
b) neutron
c) electron
d) alpha particle

6. Which of these particles has no charge?

a) alpha particle
b) neutron
c) beta particle
d) atomic nucleus

7. Which of these particles has no charge?

a) atom
b) ion
c) electron
d) alpha particle

8. Which of these statements about an atomic nucleus is true

a) It always has a charge of +1.
b) It always contains equal numbers of protons and neutrons.
c) The charge on the nucleus depends on the number of neutrons.
d) It is where almost all the mass of the atom is concentrated.

9. Electrons are arranged at different distances around the nucleus in ….

a) groups of 8 electrons.
b) order of atomic number.
c) different energy levels.
d) order to make the atom stable.

10. What can electrons in an atom do when they absorb electromagnetic radiation?

a) Move further from the nucleus into a higher energy level.
b) Decay to a lower energy electron.
c) Jump into the nucleus and join with a proton to make a neutron.
d) Change into protons.

11. What do electrons in an atom do when they drop to a lower energy level closer to the nucleus?

a) Set off a nuclear fission.
b) Gain a small amount of mass.
c) Emit electromagnetic radiation.
d) Become a positively charged positron.

12. The numbers of which two particles is always the same in any atom?

a) protons and neutrons
b) protons and electrons
c) neutrons and electrons
d) nucleons and electrons

13. What is the overall charge on any atom?

a) Zero
b) The same as the number of protons.
c) The same as the number of electrons.
d) Given by the number of protons + neutrons.

14. The number of which particle in an atom determines which element it is?

a) neutron
b) electron
c) proton
d) nucleon

15. What name is given to the number of protons in an atom?

a) isotope number
b) nucleon number
c) mass number
d) atomic number

16. The number of which particle determines which isotope of an element an atom is?

a) proton
b) electron
c) isotron
d) neutron

17. When an atom loses one or more electrons what does it become?

a) A negative ion
b) A new isotope
c) A positive ion
d) A new element

18. When atom gains one or more electrons what does it become?

a) A positive ion
b) A negative ion
c) A new isotope
d) A new element

19. What name is given to the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom?

a) atomic number
b) mass number
c) nucleus number
d) nuclear charge

20. An atom has a mass number of 14 and an atomic number of 7. Which of the following gives the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in that order?

a) 14,7,7
b) 7,14,7
c) 7,7,7
d) 7,14,14

21. An atom has a mass number of 23 and an atomic number of 11. Which of the following gives the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in that order?

a) 11,12,11
b) 12,11,12
c) 11,12,12
d) 12,12,11

22. An ion with a +2 charge has a mass number of 15 and an atomic number of 6. Which of the following gives the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in that order?

a) 6,9,8
b) 6,9,4
c) 8,9,4
d) 6,4,9

23. What is the mass number of an ion with 5 protons, 4 neutrons and 6 electrons?

a) 11
b) 5
c) 9
d) 4

24. What is the atomic number of an ion with 5 protons, 4 neutrons and 6 electrons?

a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 9

25. What is the charge on an ion with 5 protons, 4 neutrons and 6 electrons?

a) -6
b) +5
c) +1
d) -1

26. Before the discovery of the electron what were atoms thought to be like?

a) Transparent orbs of crystal.
b) Fuzzy blobs of electric charge.
c) Tiny spheres that could not be divided.
d) Tiny coloured marbles with bonding arms.

27. When electrons were discovered a new view of what atoms were like was developed. What was it called?

a) The Bohr atom.
b) The Nuclear model.
c) The Bragg atom.
d) The Plumb Pudding model.

28. Which of these is the best description of this new model of the atom that was developed when electrons were discovered?

a) A ball of positive charge with negative electrons embedded in it.
b) A ball of negative charge with positive protons embedded in it.
c) A tiny nucleus of protons with surrounding electrons.
d) A tiny nucleus of electrons with surrounding protons.

29. Which experiment led to the end of the Plum Pudding model of the atom?

a) The Schrodinger’s cat experiment.
b) The alpha particle scattering experiment.
c) The half-life decay experiment.
d) A top-secret experiment carried out on the Moon.

30. What key observation in the experiment led to the end of the Plum Pudding model.

a) No particles bounced back.
b) All particles disappeared.
c) New particles were created.
d) Some particles bounced back.

31. What two features did of the nucleus did the experiment establish?

a) Large and neutral.
b) Small and negatively charged.
c) Small and positively charged.
d) Large and positively charged.

32. What name was given to the model of the atom that replaced the Plumb Pudding model?

a) Quantum
b) Molecular
c) Bohr
d) Nuclear

33. What aspect of an atom was found to be concentrated in the nucleus.

a) Its mass
b) Its charge
c) Its spin
d) Its bonds

34. Which of these is the best description of the nuclear model of the atom.

a) A positively charged nucleus where some of the mass of the atom is concentrated. surrounded by negative electrons.
b) A tiny positively charged nucleus where most of the mass of the atom is concentrated surrounded by negative electrons.
c) A tiny negatively charged nucleus where most of the mass of the atom is concentrated surrounded by positive protons.
d) A tiny positively charged proton where the mass of the atom is concentrated surrounded by electrons.

35. Who improved the nuclear model of the atom by carrying out calculations suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances?

a) Niels Bohr
b) Ken Dodd
c) Richard Feynman
d) Peter Higgs

36. Why did these calculations become accepted as correct?

a) There were no mistakes.
b) Several people repeated them and got the same answer.
c) It was too much hassle to do any other calculations.
d) The agreed with experimental observations.

37. Which particle did the scientist James Chadwick discover?

a) proton
b) photon
c) neutron
d) electron

38. How many years after the discovery of the nucleus was the neutron discovered?

a) 1
b) 5
c) 20
d) 10

39. How many times larger is a whole atom compared to its nucleus?

a) 10000
b) 100
c) 1000
d) 10

40. Which of the following is the best description of radioactivity?

a) Atoms give our radiation as they are unstable.
b) An unstable nucleus gives out radiation as it changes to become more stable.
c) An unstable material emits radiation.
d) An atomic process that produces dangerous rays.

41. What term is used to describe the process that causes radioactivity?

a) Radioactive decay
b) Nuclear Decay
c) Radioactive fusion
d) Nuclear fission

42. In the context of radioactivity what does the term activity mean?

a) The number of unstable nuclei that decay.
b) How easy it is for the unstable nuclei to decay.
c) The rate at which unstable nuclei decay.
d) The amount of energy released during radioactive decay.

43. What is the unit of activity?

a) Sievert (Sv)
b) Coulomb (C)
c) Gray (Gy)
d) Becquerel (Bq)

44. Which of the following is the best definition of the unit of activity?

a) The number of decays recorded by a detector.
b) The energy released during each decay.
c) The number of decays recorded each second by a detector.
d) The energy released by the decays each second.

45. Which of the following can be used to measure activity?

a) Geiger-Muller tube
b) Meiger-Guller tube
c) Meiger-Guller meter
d) Geiger-Muller scope

46. Which type of radiation consists of two neutrons and two protons?

a) beta
b) alpha
c) gamma
d) neutrons

47. Which type of radiation is the same as a helium nucleus?

a) beta
b) alpha
c) gamma
d) neutrons

48. Which type of radiation is a high-speed electron?

a) alpha
b) beta
c) gamma
d) neutrons

49. Which type of radiation is produced when a neutron turns into a proton inside an atoms nucleus?

a) alpha
b) gamma
c) neutrons
d) beta

50. Which type of radiation is electromagnetic radiation from the nucleus of an atom?

a) alpha
b) gamma
c) beta
d) neutrons

51. Which material would not stop alpha particles?

a) 1 mm of air
b) 1 mm water
c) 1 mm aluminium
d) 1mm lead

52. Which material would stop alpha particles but allow beta particles to pass through?

a) 1mm aluminium
b) 1 mm air
c) 1 sheet of paper
d) 100 sheets of paper

53. Which material would stop beta particles but allow gamma rays to pass through?

a) 1 mm air
b) 1 sheet of paper
c) 1 m lead
d) 5 mm aluminium

54. Which type of radiation is the most ionising?

a) beta
b) gamma
c) UV
d) alpha

55. Which type of radiation is represented by the symbol?

a) beta
b) gamma
c) alpha
d) X-ray

56. Which type of radiation is represented by the symbol?

a) alpha
b) beta
c) gamma
d) X-ray

57. What is the missing mass number in this nuclear equation?

a) 223
b) 215
c) 86
d) 84

58. What is the missing atomic number in this nuclear equation?

a) 82
b) 84
c) 86
d) 80

59. What is the missing mass number in this nuclear equation?

a) 14
b) 15
c) 16
d) 13

60. What is the missing atomic number in this nuclear equation?

a) 5
b) 6
c) 7
d) 15

61. If an element with atomic number 92 emits an alpha particle what will be the new atomic number?

a) 88
b) 94
c) 90
d) 96

62. If an element with mass number 92 emits an alpha particle what will be the new mass number?

a) 86
b) 88
c) 94
d) 96

63. If an element with atomic number 92 emits a beta particle what will be the new atomic number?

a) 90
b) 92
c) 91
d) 93

64. If an element with mass number 92 emits a beta particle what will be the new mass number?

a) 90
b) 91
c) 92
d) 93

65. If an element with atomic number 92 emits a gamma ray what will be the new atomic number?

a) 90
b) 91
c) 93
d) 92

66. If an element with mass number 92 emits a gamma ray what will be the new mass number?

a) 92
b) 90
c) 91
d) 93

67. Which of the following is not a definition of radioactive half-life?

a) The time it takes for the activity of a radioactive sample to fall by half.
b) Exactly half the time it takes for all the radioactive nuclei to decay.
c) The time you would have to wait for exactly 50% of the radioactive nuclei to remain un-decayed.
d) The time it takes for the number of nuclei of a radioactive isotope in a sample to halve.

68. What fraction of a radioactive sample will remain after 1 half-life?

a) 1/4
b) 1/8
c) 1/16
d) 1/2

69. What fraction of a radioactive sample will remain after 2 half-lifes?

a) 1/2
b) 1/8
c) 1/4
d) 1/16

70. What fraction of a radioactive sample will remain after 3 half-lifes?

a) 1/2
b) 1/4
c) 1/16
d) 1/8

71. What fraction of a radioactive sample will remain after 4 half-lifes?

a) 1/16
b) 1/2
c) 1/4
d) 1/8

72. What mass will remain after 8 hrs of 160 mg of a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 2h?

a) 16 mg
b) 10 mg
c) 80 mg
d) 5 mg

73. The activity of a radioactive sample fell from 120 Bq to 30 Bq in 30 min. Calculate its half-life.

a) 2 hrs
b) 1 hr
c) 1 hr 30 min
d) 15 min

74. The activity of a radioactive sample fell from 300Bq to 75 Bq in 3 hrs. Calculate its half-life.

a) 6 hrs
b) 9 hrs
c) 90 min
d) 30 min

75. That term is used to mean the unwanted presence of a radioactive material on or in other materials?

a) irradiation
b) absorption
c) contamination
d) transference

76. Which term us used to mean the exposure of a material to the radiation from a radioactive material?

a) contamination
b) absorption
c) irradiation
d) transference

77. If an object is irradiated with alpha, beta or gamma radiation will it becone radioactive?

a) No
b) Yes
c) Yes if the half-life is long enough.
d) No if the half-life is short enough.

78. Why is it generally more harmful to be contaminated rather than just irradiated?

a) Contamination leads to a longer half-life.
b) If you are contaminated you keep getting irradiated until the contamination is removed.
c) Actually it’s not true. It is more harmful to be irradiated.
d) They are both as bad as each other. If you are subjected to either you will die.

79. What name is given to the process of scientists sharing and checking the validity of each others work?

a) peer review
b) scientific review
c) error correction
d) publishing

80. Which of the following are both natural sources of radiation?

a) Nuclear Weapon Testing and Nuclear Accidents
b) Nuclear Weapon Testing and Cosmic Rays from Space
c) Rocks and Cosmic Rays from Space
d) Nuclear Accidents and Rocks

81. Which of the following are both man-made sources of radiation?

a) Rocks and Cosmic Rays from Space
b) Nuclear Weapon Testing and Cosmic Rays from Space
c) Nuclear Accidents and Rocks
d) Nuclear Weapon Testing and Nuclear Accidents

82. What name is given to the low levels of radiation that is ever present in the environment?

a) foreground
b) low level
c) background
d) normal

83. What two factors can significantly affect the radiation revieved by people.

a) Their job and where they live.
b) Their job and their fitness level.
c) Health insurance and their native language.
d) Dress sense and hair colour.

84. What unit is radiation dose measured in?

a) Becquerel
b) Sievert
c) Doseity
d) Geiger Count

85. How many mSv in one Sv ?

a) 100
b) 1000
c) 0.01
d) 0.001

86. Which of the following samples of a radioactive isotope will tend to have the highest activity?

a) A small sample with short-half life.
b) A large sample with short-half life.
c) A large sample with long-half life.
d) A small sample with long-half life.

87. Which of the following is not a common use for radioactive isotoped in medicine?

a) Exploration of internal organs.
b) Control or destruction of unwanted tissue.
c) Sterilising surgical instruments.
d) Treating infections that do not respond to antibiotics.

88. Which of the following is the main risk of using radiation in medical treatment.

a) Radiation poisoning.
b) Unwanted damage to tissues in the body.
c) Contamination of the environment.
d) Nuclear explosions.

89. Which of the following is the best description of nuclear fission.

a) The splitting of a large unstable nucleus.
b) The splitting of a large unstable atom.
c) The splitting of a large stable atom.
d) The splitting of a large stable nucleus.

90. Which of the following pair of elements both readily undergo nuclear fission?

a) uranium & tritium
b) polonium & plutonium
c) uranium & plutonium
d) uranium & polonium

91. What must a nucleus usually do before it will undergo fission?

a) absorb a proton
b) emit a neutron
c) emit a proton
d) absorb a neutron

92. Which of the following describes what happens during fission?

a) A nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, one large and one small, and emits two or three neutrons plus gamma rays.
b) A nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, roughly equal in size, and emits nine or ten neutrons plus gamma rays.
c) A nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, roughly equal in size, and emits two or three neutrons plus and two or three protons.
d) A nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, roughly equal in size, and emits two or three neutrons plus gamma rays.

93. What do the products of a fission reaction all have in common?

a) Lots of protons
b) All radioactive
c) Lots of kinetic energy
d) All are positively charged.

94. What name is given to the process where the neutrons from one fission reaction set off anoth fission reaction and so on?

a) Neutron progression
b) Chain reaction
c) Nuclear feedback
d) Nuclear reaction

95. What happens during an uncontrolled chain reaction?

a) Neutron progression
b) Nuclear explosion
c) Nuclear feedback
d) Nuclear reaction

96. Which of the following is the best description of a nuclear fusion reaction?

a) The joining of two heavy nuclei to form an even heavier nucleus.
b) The joining of three or four light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus.
c) The joining of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus.
d) The splitting of a light nucleus to form two very light nuclei.

97. During a nuclear fusion reaction which of the following is converted into energy?

a) mass
b) protons
c) neutrons
d) electrons

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