1. Who were the first ones to split an atom (without realizing what had happened)?
A. Pierre and Marie Curie; B. Otto Han and Fritz Strassman;
C. Ernest Rutherford and Hans Geiger; D. Lise Meitner and Otto Han
2. The splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei is called:
A. Radioactive decay; B. Bombardment; C. Nuclear fusion;
D. Nuclear fission
3. The nuclear force that holds protons and neutrons together is called the ___ force.
A. Nuclear; B. Weak; C. Strong; D. Radioactive
4. Einstein's equation of E = mc2, predicts that:
A. Large amounts of energy come from very small masses;
B. Large amounts of energy come from very large masses;
C. Very small amounts of energy come from very small masses;
D. Nothing comes from masses lost
5. A reaction that feeds itself is a/an:
A. Controlled reaction; B. Chain reaction; C. Critical reaction;
D. Explosive reaction
6. The minimal amount of fissionable material that needs to be present for a nuclear fission reaction is the:
A. Critical mass; B. Mass defect; C. Critical energy; D. Moderator
7. Nuclear power plants differ from coal fired power plants in:
A. How the steam is produced; B. How the turbine is run;
C. The coolant that is used; D. The quality of electricity produced
8. The fissionable material used in most commercial nuclear reactors is:
A. U-235; B. U-238; C. Po-239; D. U-236
9. The fissionable material is placed in:
A. Control rods; B. Moderator rods; C. Fuel rods; D. Cooling rods
10. The function of control rods is to:
A. Slow down neutrons; B. Capture excess neutrons;
C. Keep the temperature down; D. Provide fissionable material
11. The moderator functions to:
A. Capture excess neutrons; B. Slow down neutrons; C. Cool the reactor;
D. Both B and C
12. Which of the following is NOT a typical material used as a moderator?
A. Heavy water; B. Boron; C. Regular water; D. Graphite
13. The joining of 2 light nuclei to form a new heavier nucleus is called:
A. Nuclear fusion; B. Nuclear decay; C. Nuclear fission; D. Bombardment
14. What is the main problem with a fusion reaction?
A. Too expensive; B. Not enough fuel; C. Too high a temperature to contain;
D. Too little energy produced
15. Which of the following is NOT a use of radioactive tracers?
A. Detect bone cancer; B. Find leaks in underground pipes;
C. Determine thyroid function; D. Killing cancer cells
16. Irradiating food causes changes in the molecules found in the food.
A. True; B. False
17. The rem, roentgen equivalent man, measures:
A. Radiation in counts per minute; B. Length of exposure;
C. Ability to cause tissue damage; D. The amount of gamma rays
18. At low radiation levels, the body is usually able to repair the small amount of damage done.
A. True; B. False
19. Which of these statements about the biological damage from radiation is NOT true?
A. A increase in dose, increases the risk of damage
B. The more a dose is spread over time, the more damage there is
C. The larger the body area exposed, the greater the damage
D. Rapidly dividing cells are most likely to be damaged
20. The most common form of cancer associated with exposure to radiation is:
A. Lung cancer; B. Leukemia; C. Bone cancer; D. Skin cancer
21. The number one natural source of background radiation is:
A. The human body; B. Medical treatments; C. Cosmic rays; D. Radon
22. The government annual limit of radiation exposure for the general public is:
A. 170 mrem; B. 300 mrem; C. 500mrem; D. 5000 mrem
23. The major problem with radon is that it:
A. Is in natural background radiation; B. Can lodge in the lungs and continue to decay; C. Can't be tested for; D. Concentrates in older, draftier homes
24. The final disposal of radioactive waste is the responsibility of the owners of the nuclear reactor.
A. True; B. False
25. The favored means of long term disposal may be done by:
A. Mined geologic disposal; B. Putting the wastes in old coal mines;
C. Dumping the waste in the ocean; D. Shooting the waste out to space
26. The process of cooling radioactive waste into a glass-like material or rock is called:
A. Solidification; B. Crystallization; C. Pressurization; D. Vitrification
27. The accident at Three-Mile Island was mainly due to:
A. Human error; B. Mechanical errors; C. Loss of cooling water due to automatic shut-off of water pumps; D. Too much fuel reacting
28. The accident at Chernobyl spread a radioactive cloud over the southern hemisphere.
A. True; B. False
29. Three-Mile Island exposed many more people to radiation than Chernobyl.
A. True; B. False
30. Nuclear power plants are very safe and pose very little risk to the public.
A. True; B. False
Questions? Comments??
Deborah McCool
Penn Cambria High School
Cressan Pa 16630