Deck 11: Nuclear Physics

Question 1

Alpha, beta, and gamma particles are all deflected by a magnetic field.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The number of protons in a nucleus equals the number of neutrons.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The symbol indicating the number of neutrons in a nucleus is N .

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In the case of alpha decay, the atomic number of the nucleus increases.

Question 5

The symbol indicating the mass number of a nucleus is A .

Question 6

Helium always has two neutrons in its nucleus.

Question 7

When a nucleus in an excited state decays to the ground state, a beta particle is emitted.

Question 8

An alpha particle is another name for a helium nucleus.

Question 9

Two isotopes have the same mass number.

Question 10

The atomic number equals the number of protons in a nucleus.

Question 11

If one waits for a time equal to two half-lives for a certain radioactive material, all of it originally present will have decayed completely.

Question 12

A gamma ray is another name for an electron.

Question 13

The symbol indicating the number of nucleons in a nucleus is N .

Question 14

When a neutron decays to a proton, a beta particle is emitted.

Question 15

The time interval during which a nucleus has a 50% probability of decaying is its half-life.

Question 16

When sulfur-35 ( Z = 16) decays to chlorine-35 ( Z = 17), an alpha particle is emitted.

Question 17

The symbol indicating the atomic number of a nucleus is A .

Question 18

A beta particle is another name for a helium nucleus.

Question 19

The symbol indicating the number of protons in a nucleus is N .

Question 20

When radium-223 ( Z = 88) decays to radon-119 ( Z = 86), an alpha particle is emitted.

Question 21

When uranium-238 ( Z = 92) is bombarded with a neutron, it can change into uranium-237.

Question 22

The half-life indicates how tightly the nucleons in a nucleus are bound together.

Question 23

Fusion of hydrogen nuclei is the origin of solar energy.

Question 24

Nuclear fusion is the source of energy in stars.

Question 25

The hydrogen in the universe was formed by the energy of the Big Bang.

Question 26

A Geiger counter registers a count rate of 8,000 counts per minute from a sample of a radioisotope. The count rate 24 minutes later is 1,000 counts per minute. The half-life of the radioisotope is 8 minutes.

Question 27

Gamma radiation is used to kill harmful bacteria in food.

Question 28

Magnetic confinement is used in controlled fusion experiments to control a plasma.

Question 29

Both nuclear reactors and atomic bombs use nuclear chain reactions.

Question 30

Carbon-14 dating can be used to find the age of material up to millions of years old.

Question 31

The mass of an atom of carbon-12 ( Z = 6) is less than the mass of 6 protons and 6 neutrons because of binding energy.

Question 32

Fusion is used to produce the largest nuclei known to exist.

Question 33

The determination of the composition of a material by bombarding it with neutrons and monitoring the emitted radiation is neutron activation analysis.

Question 34

A nuclear reactor could explode like an atomic bomb.

Question 35

Fission fragments are always identical.

Question 36

Atomic bombs and nuclear power plants both use nuclear fusion.

Question 37

The splitting of a large nucleus into two smaller nuclei upon absorbing a neutron is nuclear fusion.

Question 38

The combining of two nuclei to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy is nuclear fusion.

Question 39

The half-life of uranium-232 is 70 years. The time for 3/4 of a sample of uranium-232 to decay is 105 years.

Question 40

The product of a radioactive decay is called the "daughter."

Question 41

The number of protons in a nucleus is the

A) mass number.
B) neutron number.
C) atomic number.
D) isotope number.
E) none of the above

Question 42

How can an electron be ejected from a nucleus in beta decay if it wasn't in the nucleus to begin with?

A) The electron doesn't come from the nucleus-it comes from an orbit circling the nucleus.
B) A neutron in the nucleus turns into a proton, electron, and a neutrino.
C) A proton in the nucleus turns into a neutron, electron, and a neutrino.
D) none of the above

Question 43

The expression(s) indicating the atomic number of a nucleus is

A) A.
B) N.
C) Z.
D) Z + N.
E) A - Z.

Question 44

An alpha particle is like with 2 protons and 2 neutrons, whereas a beta particle is equivalent to hydrogen.

Question 45

If someone tells you they have a sample of niobium-90, can you tell how many neutrons are in the nucleus?

A) Yes, there are 41 neutrons.
B) Yes, there are 90 neutrons.
C) Yes, there are 49 neutrons.
D) No, more information must be given.
E) No, there is no such thing as "niobium."

Question 46

Low levels of ionizing radiation

A) are dangerous to the human body.
B) can be tolerated by the human body.
C) are beneficial to the human body.
D) none of the above

Question 47

What is ?

A) There is no such thing.
B) an isotope of carbon with 7 neutrons and 12 protons
C) an isotope of carbon with 7 neutrons and 5 protons
D) an isotope of carbon with 5 neutrons and 7 protons

Question 48

Two isotopes have the same

A) mass number.
B) neutron number.
C) atomic number.
D) quantum number.
E) none of the above

Question 49

Einstein's equation E = mc ² states that when a particle loses energy, the result is an increase in mass of the particle.

Question 50

After three half-lives, 3/4 of the nuclei in a sample of a radioisotope have decayed

Question 51

The energy of nuclear radiation as it is absorbed mostly goes to heat the material.

Question 52

What does the 235 represent in uranium-235?

A) the mass number
B) the atomic number
C) the neutron number
D) none of the above

Question 53

The expression(s) indicating the number of protons in a nucleus is

A) A.
B) N.
C) Z.
D) Z + N.
E) A - Z.

Question 54

An alpha particle is another name for a(n)

A) electron.
B) proton.
C) neutron.
D) helium nucleus.
E) photon.

Question 55

What's an isotope?

A) a radioactive material
B) an atom of an element with a different number of neutrons in the nucleus
C) an electrically charged atom
D) none of the above

Question 56

A beta particle is another name for a(n)

A) electron.
B) proton.
C) neutron.
D) helium nucleus.
E) photon.

Question 57

How big is the nucleus of an atom?

A) about 1% of the volume of the whole atom
B) about a millionth of the volume of the whole atom
C) about a billionth of the volume of the whole atom
D) about a trillionth of the volume of the whole atom

Question 58

If a substance is radioactive it is definitely

A) dangerous.
B) emitting alpha particles.
C) glowing.
D) useful.
E) all of the above.
F) none of the above.

Question 59

What holds the nucleus together?

A) electrical forces between the protons
B) alpha particles
C) beta particles
D) strong forces

Question 60

A gamma ray is another name for a(n)

A) electron.
B) proton.
C) neutron.
D) helium nucleus.
E) photon.

Question 61

What's a decay chain?

A) a nuclear chain reaction
B) one radioisotope decaying into another, which decays into another, and so on
C) the triggering of multiple fissions by a single neutron
D) none of the above

Question 62

A Geiger counter registers a count rate of 8,000 counts per minute from a sample of a radioisotope. The count rate 24 minutes later is 1,000 counts per minute. The half-life of the radioisotope is

A) 3 minutes.
B) 4 minutes.
C) 6 minutes.
D) 8 minutes.
E) 12 minutes.

Question 63

Why is there a radioactive source in a smoke detector?

A) It makes the smoke particles radioactive.
B) It ionizes the air.
C) It powers the alarm when the battery wears out.
D) none of the above

Question 64

Carbon-14 dating can be used to find the age of material up to ____________ of years old.

A) millions
B) billions
C) hundreds of thousands
D) tens of thousands

Question 65

The combining of two nuclei to form a larger nucleus with the release of energy is

A) nuclear fission.
B) nuclear fusion.
C) neutron activation.
D) nuclear emission.
E) beta decay.

Question 66

How tightly the nucleons in a nucleus are bound together is indicated by the nucleus's

A) atomic number.
B) mass number.
C) neutron number.
D) half-life.
E) binding energy.

Question 67

What does the moderator do in a nuclear reactor?

A) It is a safety feature that limits the nuclear reaction.
B) It absorbs neutrons.
C) It slows down neutrons.
D) none of the above

Question 68

What do "kiloton" and "megaton" refer to?

A) explosive yields of nuclear weapons
B) kiloton means 1000 tons of TNT
C) megaton means one million tons of TNT
D) all of the above

Question 69

The hydrogen in the universe was formed by

A) the energy of the Big Bang.
B) nuclear fusion reactions in stars.
C) radioactive decay of heavy elements.
D) none of the above.

Question 70

When radium-223 ( Z = 88) decays to radon-119 ( Z = 86), the other particle emitted is

A) an alpha particle.
B) a beta particle.
C) a gamma ray.
D) an x-ray.
E) none of the above.

Question 71

Which of the following is not a method of producing nuclear fusion?

A) heating a magnetically confined plasma
B) forcing nuclei together using lasers
C) cooling nuclei to very cold temperatures
D) forcing nuclei together with a nuclear fission explosion

Question 72

Why is nuclear reactor waste radioactive?

A) Radiation from the reactor makes everything in or near it radioactive.
B) Used fuel rods contain fission fragments which are radioactive.
C) Spent fuel rods pick up contamination from the reactor.
D) all of the above

Question 73

The splitting of a large nucleus into two smaller nuclei upon absorbing a neutron is

A) nuclear fission.
B) nuclear fusion.
C) neutron activation.
D) nuclear emission.
E) beta decay.

Question 74

Which of the following is not the usual outcome of nuclear fission?

A) The binding energy per nucleon of the fission fragments is smaller than that of the original nucleus.
B) Energy is released.
C) Neutrons are released.
D) The fission fragments are radioactive.

Question 75

When a neutron decays to create a proton, another particle emitted is

A) an alpha particle.
B) a beta particle.
C) a gamma ray.
D) an x-ray.
E) none of the above.

Question 76

The time interval during which a nucleus has a 50% probability of decaying is its

A) half-life.
B) decay time.
C) nuclei activation time.
D) binding energy time.
E) none of the above.

Question 77

When sulfur-35 ( Z = 16) decays to chlorine-35 ( Z = 17), a particle emitted is

A) an alpha particle.
B) a beta particle.
C) a gamma ray.
D) an x-ray.
E) none of the above.

Question 78

When a nucleus in an excited state decays to the ground state, the particle emitted is

A) an alpha particle.
B) a beta particle.
C) a gamma ray.
D) an x-ray.
E) none of the above.

Question 79

What do you do to the control rods of a reactor in order to shut it down?

A) push them into the core
B) pull them out of the core
C) nothing-it's the cooling water that shuts down the reactor
D) none of the above

Question 80

The half-life of uranium-232 is 70 years. The time for 3/4 of a sample of uranium-232 to decay is

A) 35 years.
B) 70 years.
C) 125 years.
D) 140 years.
E) none of the above.