1. Atoms that have unstable nuclei and will change into a different atom are said to be:
A. Fluorescent; B. Isotopes; C. Radioactive; D. Colorful
2. A low energy electromagnetic radiation is:
A. Gamma rays; B. Radiowaves; C. X-rays; D. Visible light
3. Electromagnetic radiation that comes from outer space is:
A. Microwaves; B. Infrared rays; C. Gamma rays; D. Cosmic rays
4. Low energy electromagnetic radiation also has:
A. Low frequency, short wavelength; B. Low frequency, long wavelength;
C. High frequency, short wavelength; D. High frequency, long wavelength
5. Electromagnetic radiation moves through space as a wave of packages of energy called:
A. Photons; B. Phasers; C. Ions; D. Lasers
6. Radiation that "rips" electrons off of atoms to produce free radicals is called ____ radiation.
A. Exciting; B. Nonionizing; C. Cathode; D. Ionizing
7. Who discovered X-rays while studying fluorescence of minerals?
A. Geiger; B. Roentgen; C. Becquerel; D. Curie
8. Who discovered radioactivity by accident?
A. Rutherford; B. Becquerel; C. Marie Curie; D. Geiger
9. This person showed that radioactivity consists of 2 particles and a form of energy.
A. Pierre Curie; B. Rutherford; C. Becquerel; D. Geiger
10. Alpha particles have ____ charge.
A. Positive; B. Negative; C. No
11. Which is NOT a conclusion that Rutherford made from the gold foil experiment?
A. A atom is mostly space; B. The nucleus is very tiny; C. Electrons surround the nucleus; D. The nucleus is negatively charged
12. Which atomic particle is described as being positively charged with a relative mass of 1?
A. Neutron; B. Positron; C. Proton; D. Electron
13. The identity of an element is determined by its number of:
A. Electrons; B. Neutrons; C. Protons + neutrons; D. Protons
14. Atoms of the same element with different masses are called:
A. Isotopes; B. Radioactive; C. Semiconductors; D. Transuranium
15. The atomic mass of strontium is 87.62 grams. The most common isotope of strontium is:
A. Sr-87; B. Sr-88; C. Sr-62; D. It can not be determined
16. A device for detecting ionizing radiation that produces clicks is the:
A. Scintillation counter; B. Geiger counter; C. Film badge;
D. Cloud chamber
17. Which radiation has the poorest penetration?
A. Alpha particles; B. Beta particles; C. Gamma rays; D. Delta rays
18. A beta particle is a/an:
A. Electron; B. Helium nucleus; C. Proton; D. Hydrogen nucleus
19. Which radiation can be stopped by a piece of metal foil?
A. Alpha particle; B. Beta particle; C. Gamma rays; D. X-rays
20. The product of a decay reaction has a mass that has decreased by 4. What type of decay occurred?
A. Gamma decay; B. Fission; C. Alpha decay; D. Beta decay
21. The product of a nuclear decay did not change mass or atomic number. What type of decay occurred?
A. Fusion; B. Alpha decay; C. Gamma decay; D. Beta decay
22. The product of a radioactive decay is always non-radioactive.
A. True; B. False
23. The half life of a radioisotope is 3 days. If you started with 600 mg of material, how much would be left in 15 days?
A. 18.75mg; B. 75 mg; C. 37.5 mg; D. Can not determine
24. You start with 800 grams of a radioisotope. In 36 hours, there are 100 grams left. What is the half-life of this radioisotope?
A. 3 hours; B. 12 hours; C. 22 hours; D. 10 hours
25. The changing of one element into another by a nuclear reaction is called:
A. Transmutation; B. Transuranium; C. Decomposition; D. Combustion
26. Who made the first nonradioactive artificial isotope?
A. Rutherford; B. Curies; C. Becquerel; D. Geiger
27. Who made the first radioactive artificial isotope?
A. Rutherford; B. Curies; C. Becquerel; D. Geiger
28. Hitting a stable nucleus with a high speed particle to produce a heavier nucleus is called:
A. Fission; B. Combustion; C. Bombardment; D. Replacement
29. The particle that is fired at the target nucleus is called a:
A. Target; B. Product; C. Ejected particle; D. Bullet
30. To balance a nuclear reaction, the mass number on both sides of the equation must be equal but the atomic number can be different.
A. True; B. False
Complete the following chart.
| isotope symbol | isotope name | atomic number | mass number | protons | neutrons | electrons |
| hydrogen-2 | ||||||
| 49 | 67 | |||||
| 85 | 210 | |||||
| Ac | 228 |
Write and balance the following nuclear reactions:
31. The beta decay of U-235
32. The alpha decay of Bi-210
33. 4 He + 14 N --> 1 H + ______
34. 99 Tc --> 99 Tc + _____
Questions? Comments??
Deborah McCool
Penn Cambria High School
Cressan Pa 16630