Radioactivity&Background Radiation

Question 1

When isotopes are radioactive what does this mean?

Answer 1

This means they decay into other elements and give out radiation

Question 2

What are the three types of radiation?

Answer 2

Gamma
Beta
Alpha

Question 3

Is radioactive decay of atoms affected by physical conditions like temperature?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

In the plum pudding model of the atom what are the plums?

Answer 4

Electrons

Question 5

Give one man-made source of background radiation

Answer 5

• Fallout from nuclear weapons test
• Nuclear accidents
• dumped nuclear waste

Question 6

Give the relative charge of the following particles:
•electron
•proton
•neutron

Answer 6

• electron = -1
• proton= +1
• neutron= 0

Question 7

What are isotopes?

Answer 7

Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons

Same atomic number
Different mass number

Question 8

Describe what Rutherford and Marsden saw when they fired a beam of alpha particles at thin gold foil

Answer 8

Most of the alpha particles went straight through the foil. But a small number of alpha particles were deflected straight back at them.

Question 9

Describe the main features of their nucleus model of the atom

Answer 9

Most of the atom is empty space. The nucleus of an atom is tiny and contains most of the mass and is positively charged