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Power plants can be powered by fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or nuclear power to produce steam to turn turbines to generate electricity. Elaborate on why one might NOT choose nuclear power over the fossil fuel power plants.

• Nuclear power has far less environmental impact than using fossil fuels.

• Nuclear power plants create clean, renewable energy that does not pollute.

• Radioactive waste requires special treatment and disposal procedures.

• Radionucleotides generate much more energy than fossils fuels can produce.

Predict the type of radioactive emission produced from the decay of metastable cobalt-60 to cobalt-60. Describe this type of emission and its reaction to an electric field.

• During the radioactive decay, alpha particles are released. These positive particles are attracted to the negative plate in the electric field and represent a ground energy level.

• Beta particles are released during the radioactive decay. These negative particles are attracted to the positive plate in the electric field and represent an excited energy state.

• Radioactive gamma decay is produced by the reaction. This neutral electromagnetic radiation allows the isotope to return to its ground state and is not attracted to the electric field.

• Both types of radioactive emissions, particles and electromagnetic radiation, are produced during this decay. None of these are attracted to the electric field and both present an intermediate level.

Nuclear power has come under higher scrutiny in recent years. Which statement would make the strongest argument for the use of nuclear power?

• Nuclear power generates large amounts of power with limited production of greenhouse gases.

• The cost of dismantling a nuclear plant at the end of its useful life is very high.

• There is an abundance of fuel that can be mined but transportation increases cost.

• The amount of radioactive waste produced is relatively small.

During nuclear decay, a new isotope is created. How is the nucleus of the new isotope different from the parent if the parent isotope has undergone beta decay?

• The atomic number increases by 4 and the mass increases by 2.

• The atomic number increases by 2 and the mass decreases by 4.

• The atomic number increases by 1 and the mass remains the same.

• The atomic number remains the same and the mass decreases by 1.

From the data table, the substance will have the least of the original amount remaining after 30 days even though it started with the most. Evaluate which is the best explanation for this answer?

• Substances A and B are not as radioactive since they have longer half-lives.

• The states of matter for substances A & B are more volatile than substance C.

• Substances that start with large amounts will always decay at faster rates.

• Substance C goes through significantly more half-lives compared to the other substances.

Advancements in nuclear science have led to new technology which have been beneficial to society. Many of the advances are used in medicine. Which is not a medical use of nuclear energy?

• nuclear fusion

• radioimmunotherapy

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• CT Scan

Use the chart to determine the half-life of Carbon-14.

• 5,000 years

• 5,700 years

• 10,000 years

• 11,400 years

Nuclear fission reactors work off of a chain reaction that produces energy. This type of energy production is often viewed as a viable option to burning fossil fuels. What is an advantage to using nuclear power over fossil fuels?

• Nuclear power is unreliable.

• Nuclear power plants are less expensive to build than coal plants.

• Nuclear power produces a large amount of waste.

• Nuclear power does not produce smoke or carbon dioxide.

Which explains why radioactive waste is so difficult to get rid of?

• Low electrical charge

• High electrical charge

• Long half-life of waste products

• Short half-life of waste products

Griffin was walking to school one day and found an old bone. He took it to a scientist friend of his, and after studying the bone, she determined it was approximately 24,000 years old. She also told him that the current amount of carbon-14 in the bone was 5,000 atoms. How many atoms must the bone have had originally, assuming that the half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 6,000 years.

• 5,000 atoms

• 20,000 atoms

• 40,000 atoms

• 80,000 atoms