Radioactive Isotopes Quiz

The __________ of a radioactive substance is the time taken for its radioactivity to decrease by half.

Scientists use carbon-14 dating to determine the age of __________ material.

What does the half-life of a radioactive substance measure?

• The time taken for all its atoms to decay

• The time taken for half its radioactivity to decrease

• The stability of the isotope

• The speed of light

How did scientists use the half-life of carbon-14 to date artifacts like the Turin Shroud?

Atoms are made up of smaller _________ such as protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Which of the following best describes the concept of radioactive decay?

• The emission of electrons from a metal surface

• The process by which a nucleus splits into smaller parts

• The fusion of two atomic nuclei

• The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus

What is the primary factor that determines the half-life of a radioactive isotope?

• The temperature of the environment

• The atomic number of the isotope

• The pressure applied to the substance

• The stability of the nucleus

How does the half-life of a substance affect its radioactivity over time?

• It decreases exponentially as time passes

• It increases linearly with time

• It remains constant regardless of the half-life

• It fluctuates randomly

What is the half-life (in days) of this material?

Sketch what a half-life graph should look like.