Atomic Structure Flashcards
Which subatomic particle was discovered next after the electron?
proton
Can electromagnetic radiation affect the electron arrangement of an atom?
yes
What idea did Niels Bohr contribute to the nuclear model of the atom?
electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances
What name is given to atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons?
isotopes
Which metal is used for containers that store radioactive sources?
lead
James Chadwick discovered evidence of what part of an atom?
neutron
True or false? Most of an atom is empty space.
true
In the plum pudding model of the atom, what subatomic particle is the equivalent of a raisin in a plum pudding?
electron
If an atom absorbs electromagnetic radiation, its electrons can move to a __________ energy level. Which word completes the sentence?
higher
Atoms form ions by transferring which type of atomic particle?
electrons
The discovery of the electron disproved the idea that atoms were tiny spheres that couldn’t be… what?
divided
When did James Chadwick discover evidence to show the existence of the neutron?
1932
Name the particle that an atom can lose or gain in order to form a charged ion.
electron
What is the overall electrical charge of an atom with an equal number of protons and electrons?
0
Will two different isotopes of the same element have the same mass number?
no
Think of Rutherford’s experiment. Most alpha particles passed straight through, but a few were repelled so strongly that they were bounced back or deflected at large angles. This led Rutherford to conclude that the charge of the nucleus of an atom must be… what?
positively charged
If an atom emits electromagnetic radiation, its electrons can move to a __________ energy level.
lower
The discovery of which subatomic particle led to the plum pudding model of the atom?
electron
In an atom, the number of protons is always equal to the number of… what?
electrons
Will two different isotopes of the same element have the same atomic number?
yes
In an atom the number of electrons is always equal to the number of __________.
protons
True or false? In the plum pudding model of the atom, the atom is a ball of positive charge with electrons surrounding it.
false
True or false? It is not possible to predict when a particular atom of a radioactive substance will undergo decay.
true
Name the type of radiation given out by radioactive substances that is the most ionising.
alpha
What is the name given to an isotope if its nucleus is unstable?
radioactive
Name the type of nuclear radiation that is used in smoke alarms.
alpha
What is the charge on an alpha particle?
2
An alpha particle has the same structure as the nucleus of which element?
helium
The activity of a radioactive isotope decreases over time. The time it takes to decay depends on its __________-life.
half
True or false? Gamma radiation can be deflected.
false
True or false? All isotopes are radioactive.
false
Name the type of radiation that has the greatest range in air.
gamma
Gamma radiation is a type of __________ radiation of a very high frequency.
electromagnetic
Which type of ionising radiation has no charge?
gamma
Which type of ionising radiation is the most dangerous if swallowed?
alpha
What name is given to the time taken for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay?
half-life
Name the radiation emitted from radioactive materials that is a high-energy electromagnetic wave.
gamma
A Geiger-Muller (GM) tube can be used to detect ionising radiation. How many alpha particles entering the GM tube are needed to make the counter advance by on?
1
Gamma ray radiation consists of high energy __________ waves.
electromagnetic
Beta radiation consists of what type of sub-atomic particle?
electrons
How many neutrons does an alpha particle contain?
2
What unit of radioactivity is being described here? “The activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second.”
becquerel
True or false? 10 g of a radioactive isotope has an activity of 15 Bq. Therefore it can be predicted that 20 g of the same isotope will have an activity of 30 Bq.
true
How many electrons does an alpha particle contain?
0
Name the radiation emitted from radioactive materials that consists of high speed helium nuclei.
alpha
True or false? Beta particles come from the electron shells surrounding a radioactive nucleus.
false
An underground pipe is suspected to contain a blockage. A radioactive tracer is put into the pipe to assess the situation. Which of the following best explains why a tracer that gives off gamma radiation should be chosen?
gamma radiation can pass through the pipe and ground to reach the detector
Beta particle radiation consists of high speed __________.
electrons
Gamma rays are given out from the __________ of radioactive atoms.
nuclei
Which type of radiation emitted by radioactive atoms has the least ionising power?
gamma
Which is the most dangerous radiation at a distance?
gamma
Ionising radiation is emitted all the time by __________ sources.
radioactive
Name the type of radiation that can travel only a few centimetres through the air.
alpha
True or false? If an alpha particle transfers sufficient energy to an atom, that atom may eject an electron and become a positively charged ion.
true
Name the radiation emitted from radioactive materials that consists of high speed electrons.
beta
There are three main types of radiation emitted by radioactive atoms: alpha, beta and… what?
gamma
What name is given to the process by which radioactive atoms break down and change into a different type of atom?
radioactive
How many protons does an alpha particle contain?
2
Should radioactive tracers used for medical diagnosis have a short or a long half-life?
short
An underground pipe is suspected to contain a blockage. A radioactive tracer is put into the pipe to assess the situation. What type of radiation will be given off by this tracer?
gamma
Substances that give out radiation from the nuclei of their atoms all the time are said to be… what?
radioactive
It is important for the findings of studies into the effects of radiation on humans to be shared with other scientists so that the findings can be checked by peer __________.
review
True or false? Gamma irradiation of food causes some of the atoms in the food to become radioactive.
false
If humans are exposed to radiation, this can cause a change in their DNA base sequence. What is the term given to this?
mutation
What happens to a person’s risk of cancer as the amount of time they are exposed to radiation increases?
it increases
Radioactive sources for use in school experiments are always stored in a container lined with which metal?
lead
What is it called when an unwanted material that contains radioactive atoms is present on another material?
radioactive contamination
Which type of ionising radiation is most penetrating?
gamma
Sam says that beta particles are not used to irradiate food because they make it radioactive. Jo says that the reason is that beta particles would not be able to penetrate all the way through thick packages of food. Who is correct, Sam or Jo?
Jo
True or false? Radioactive sources should never be touched by hand.
true
What is the name of the medical condition humans can get that involves uncontrolled cell division if they are exposed to too much ionising radiation over a period of time?
cancer
True or false? When an object is exposed to nuclear radiation, the irradiated object does not become radioactive.
true
True or false? It is safe to handle sources of alpha particles with bare hands as the radiation only travels a few mm in air.
false
What is the name of the process where an object is exposed to nuclear radiation?
irradiation
What piece of equipment should be used to handle radioactive sources?
tongs
