Each question in this quiz is timed.
Which of these scientists were credited with discovering radioactivity?
Becquerel
Sievert
Gray
Curie
True or false? All nuclei, both stable and unstable, undergo radioactive decay.
True or false? Radioactive decay is a random process roughly following a Poisson distribution.
Which five of these are major (contribute to 10% or more) causes of background radiation?
Medical uses (e.g. X-rays)
Nuclear power stations
Radon gas in the air
Radioactivity in the ground
Nuclear weapons testing
Cosmic radiation
Food and drink
Air travel
Which of these scientists helped to discover the nucleus?
Rutherford
Geiger
Marsden
Einstein
Lavoisier
Mendeleev
Which of these conclusions were made about the structure of the atom were made following Geiger and Marsden's alpha particle scattering experiment?
The atom is mostly made of matter
The atom is mostly made of empty space
Most of the mass is concentrated in the nucleus
The mass is evenly distributed throughout the atom
The nucleus has a large positive charge
The nucleus has a large negative charge
True or false? The previous model for the structure of the atom was known as the "pease pottage" model.
How many neutrons can be found in the isotope polonium-210? (Z of Po = 84)
210
84
126
Which of these statements are true about alpha particles?
Nucleus loses 2 protons and 2 neutrons
A neutron in the nucleus is changed into a proton and an electron
A helium nucleus is emitted
A high-energy electron is emitted
Which of these statements are true about beta particles?
What is the decay product of thorium-228 if it undergoes alpha decay? (Z of Th = 90)
Thorium-224
Radium-228
Radium-224
Protactinium-228
Thorium-228
Protactinium-224
What is the decay product of potassium-40 if it undergoes beta decay? (Z of K = 19)
Potassium-40
Potassium-36
Chlorine-40
Chlorine-36
Calcium-40
Calcium-36
Which of these statements are true about alpha radiation?
Very penetrating - stopped by several cm of lead
Fairly penetrating - stopped by several mm of aluminium
Poorly penetrating - stopped by a sheet of paper
Very ionising
Fairly ionising
Poorly ionising
Deflected by a large angle to the positive region of a field
Deflected by a small angle to the negative region of a field
Not deflected in a field
Which of these statements are true about beta radiation?
Which of these statements are true about gamma radiation?
True or false? The half-life of a radioactive sample is the time taken for the number of parent nuclei to halve.
What would be the mass of a radioactive sample after 2 and a half hours if its original mass were 100g and its half-life were half an hour?
50g
25g
12.5g
6.25g
3.125g
1.5625g
0.78125g
0.390625g
Which of these is a use of alpha radiation?
Carbon and uranium dating
Smoke alarms
Medical tracers
Thickness monitoring
Which of these is a use of beta radiation?
Which of these is a use of gamma radiation?
