Radioactivity

Which events take place during beta decay?

• a protein decomposes into a neutron and an electron

• a neutron decomposes into a proton and an electron

• an electron is emitted from the nucleus

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

True or False: One potential danger of radon gas is that prolonged exposure to it can lead to lung cancer.

• true

• false

What is radioactivity?

• A term that describes the forces that hold atomic nuclei together

• The movement of electrons around an atomic nucleus

• The application of heat energy to an atomic nucleus

• The emission of high-energy particles or waves from atoms

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

What is a half-life?

• The average time it takes for any element to disappear completely

• The time it takes for half of any number of radioactive atoms to decay

• The time it takes for a radioactive atom to lose half its neutrons

• The time it takes for a radioactive atom to lose half its electrons

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Imagine you have 50,000 atoms of uranium-238. If U-238 has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, how many U-238 atoms will be left after 4.5 billion years?

• 25,000

• 50,000

• 12,500

• 0

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

How are gamma rays different from beta particles?

• Beta particles cannot penetrate people's skin; gamma rays can

• Beta particles are extremely dangerous, gamma rays are less so

• Gamma rays are extremely dangerous; beta particles are less so

• Beta particles are safe for humans to ingest; gamma rays are not

How do atoms with stable nuclei differ from atoms with unstable nuclei?

• Stable nuclei can be found everywhere; unstable nuclei do not occur in nature.

• Stable nuclei emit electrons; unstable nuclei emit protons and neutrons.

• Stable nuclei contain equal numbers of protons and neutrons; unstable nuclei do not.

• The number of particles in stable nuclei never changes; the number of particles in unstable nuclei does change.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

A radioactive isotope is a substance that

• will eventually gain electrons through bonding

• will become stable by cooling down

• is unstable and will 'decay' by losing particles

• is not found naturally on the Earth

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Which of the above best describes the words 'contamination' and irradiation'?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Which type(s) of radiation is the most ionising?

• alpha

• beta

• gamma

• alpha and beta

• beta and gamma