Types of Radioactive Decay — Unit test Answers

Potassium-40 has a half-life of 1.277 109 years. After 1.022 1010 years, how much potassium-40 will remain from a 500.3-g sample?

After a radioactive atom decays, it is the same element that it was before with no measurable change in mass. Which kind of decay has occurred, and how do you know?

Which procedure will most increase the energy output of a nuclear reactor?

A large atom decays and emits a particle. After the reaction is complete, the atom’s mass has changed substantially. What kind of particle has most likely been emitted?

A sample contains 25% parent isotope and 75% daughter isotopes. If the half-life of the parent isotope is 72 years, how old is the sample?

Which particles that make up an atom are involved in nuclear reactions?

What happens when the amount of fissionable material exceeds the critical mass?

If an unshielded sample of radioactive material emits alpha particles, what effect will it have on a person sitting in the next room? (Assume the wall between rooms is composed of concrete.)

Why would a doctor most likely restrict a patient’s contact with other people while the patient receives internal radiation?

Which type of radiation do people try to protect themselves from by wearing protective clothing that is made of aluminum?

Consider the nuclear equation below.Which is the missing value that will balance the equation?

Which issue poses the greatest long-term challenge in the development of new nuclear power plants?

Which represents the balanced nuclear equation for the beta plus decay of C-11?

The alpha decay of a radioactive nuclide (X) emits a He-4 nucleus and produces an isotope of . What is X?

What occurs during one half-life?