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IPC 8D: Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
The type of radioactive particle that can be stopped by a sheet of paper is the ____.
a.
alpha particle
c.
gamma ray
b.
beta particle
d.
uranium
 

 2. 
A helium nucleus with two protons and two neutrons is called a(n) ____.
a.
alpha particle
c.
electroscope
b.
beta particle
d.
gamma ray
 

 3. 
When the strong force is not sufficient to hold unstable nuclei together permanently, ____.
a.
nuclear fusion occurs
c.
the nuclei decay
b.
a solid becomes a liquid
d.
carbon-12 changes into carbon-14
 

 4. 
An instrument that detects radiation by means of a superheated liquid is a ____.
a.
bubble chamber
c.
Geiger counter
b.
cloud chamber
d.
photographic plate
 

 5. 
Radioactive tracers are useful in ____.
a.
calculating the ages of fossils
c.
fueling nuclear reactions
b.
determining medical problems
d.
treating brain tumors
 

 6. 
Neutrons released in a fission reaction can strike other nuclei and cause ____.
a.
a chain reaction
c.
fusion reactions
b.
an electron avalanche
d.
radioactive decay
 

 7. 
For which of the following problems would a scientist most likely use carbon-14?
a.
to calculate the age of the Earth's oldest rocks
b.
to calculate the age of a piece of bone
c.
to identify the elements that make up a rock
d.
to identify the elements that make up a bone
 

 8. 
Thorium-234 has a half-life of 24 days. If you started with a 100-g sample of thorium-234, how much would remain after 48 days?
a.
100 g
c.
25 g
b.
50 g
d.
10 g
 

 9. 
Which of the following elements is most likely to be produced during a nuclear fusion reaction in the Sun?
a.
helium-4
c.
uranium-235
b.
hydrogen-1
d.
uranium-238
 

 10. 
When the ____ is not large enough to hold a nucleus together tightly, the nucleus can become radioactive.
a.
electric force
c.
tracer
b.
strong force
d.
isotope
 



 
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