Nuclear Transformations, Radioactivity and Radiation

Question 1

What is the nucleus of an atom made up of?

Answer 1

Protons and neutrons

Question 2

What does the atomic number represent?

Answer 2

The number of protons in an atom

Question 3

What is the number of protons equal to?

Answer 3

The number of electrons

Question 4

What does the atomic mass number represent?

Answer 4

The number of neutrons and protons in an atom

Question 5

Why are the nuclei able to stay stable?

Answer 5

The force of attraction between particles is stronger than the force of repulsion between protons

Question 6

The larger a nucleus, the greater the force of __________, so the _____ stable the nucleus

Answer 6

Repulsion, less

Question 7

Elements with atomic numbers greater than 83 are unstable, what tends to happen to them? What does this cause?

Answer 7

They tend to become atoms of smaller elements and this causes the release of radiation from certain atoms

Question 8

What are isotopes?

Answer 8

Variations of elements that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons (atomic mass changes)

Question 9

What is the half-life of an isotope?

Answer 9

The time it takes for half the amount of a given element to decay into another element

Question 10

What is radiation?

Answer 10

Energy traveling in the form of particles or waves in bundles called photons

Question 11

What is radioactivity?

Answer 11

Unstable atoms of an element emit excess energy in the form of waves or particles called ionizing radiation

Question 12

When does ionization occur?

Answer 12

When high-energy radiation interacts with and removes electrons of an atom of some materials

Question 13

When isotopes decay they emit _______, in the form of ________ ________.

Answer 13

Energy, ionizing radiation

Question 14

What are the three types of ionizing radiation?

Answer 14

Alpha decay, beta decay, gamma rays

Question 15

What can ionizing radiation do to your body?

Answer 15

Tear away electrons from atoms, damaging cells and DNA material

Question 16

What are alpha particles?

Answer 16

2 protons and 2 neutrons bound together and are identical to a helium nucleus

Question 17

When are alpha particles emitted?

Answer 17

During the radioactive decay of large atoms

Question 18

Alpha particles are the most _______ and the least ________

Answer 18

Ionizing, penetrating

Question 19

What are beta particles?

Answer 19

Excess neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton and an electron. The proton stays in the nucleus while the electron gets ejected

Question 20

What are gamma rays produced by?

Answer 20

The radioactive decay of nuclei as they go from a high-energy state to a low-energy state

Question 21

Are gamma rays particles?

Answer 21

No, they are bursts of energy

Question 22

Gamma rays are the least _______ and the most ________

Answer 22

Ionizing, penetrating

Question 23

Which type of radiation is most dangerous inside the body?

Answer 23

Alpha radiation is the most dangerous because it can likely be absorbed by the cells while beta and gamma radiation will pass right through the body

Question 24

Which type of radiation is most dangerous outside the body?

Answer 24

Alpha radiation are the least dangerous because they can be easily blocked, while beta and gamma radiation can penetrate the skin

Question 25

When does radiation poisoning occur?

Answer 25

When people are exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation

Question 26

What damage does radiation poisoning cause?

Answer 26

Causes the cells to be damaged or to degrade

Question 27

What does acute and chronic mean, in context with radiation poisoning?

Answer 27

Acute-very soon after high levels of exposure

Chronic-months-years after low levels of exposure

Question 28

What are some examples of radiation poisoning?

Answer 28

Nuclear bombs, nuclear disasters, intentional administration, accidental exposure

Question 29

What happens during nuclear fission? What does this cause?

Answer 29

The nucleus of an atom splits into smaller nuclei and releases neutrons and a large amount of energy. The neutrons smash into other atoms and creates more fission, possibly causing a chain-reaction

Question 30

Why do nuclear power plants use radiation?

Answer 30

To generate steam, to create heat, to generate electricity

Question 31

The heat used in the nuclear power process is generated by _________ ________.

Answer 31

Controlled fission

Question 32

Nuclear power plants are ________ and ________ as long as there aren’t any accidents or nuclear meltdowns.

Answer 32

Efficient, non-polluting

Question 33

How do accidents at power plants usually occur?

Answer 33

By a series of accidental events which allows contaminated material to escape

Question 34

When and where does nuclear fusion occur?

Answer 34

In stars when two nuclei collide to form one heavier nuclei

Question 35

Why is nuclear fusion very hard to recreate?

Answer 35

Since it requires very high temperatures

Question 36

In stars, what 2 isotopes of hydrogen fuse together to form helium? What does this process release?

Answer 36

• Deuterium and tritium

- Neutrons and energy in the form of heat and light

Question 37

What happens after all the hydrogen in stars gets used up?

Answer 37

The next elements fuse together until only iron is left

Question 38

What does the star become when all the nuclear fuel is used up? What happens next?

Answer 38

• White Dwarf

- When it is too big, it explodes, this is called a supernova

Question 39

The bigger the star, the shorter the life span. Why?

Answer 39

It uses up energy quicker

Question 40

What are some medical/scientific applications?

Answer 40

X-ray crystallography, therapy, diagnostic, and radioisotopes

Question 41

What are some naturally-occurring isotopes that we are exposed to every day?

Answer 41

Carbon-14, radon-222

Question 42

Cosmic rays are mostly blocked by the ____ _______. Higher you are in _______, the more you are exposed to cosmic radiation.

Answer 42

• Earth’s atmosphere

- Altitude

Question 43

What does a geiger counter do?

Answer 43

Used to detect radioactivity