Practice MCQs For Radioactivity and the nuclear atom

This quiz contains practice questions for GCE ‘O’ level topic: Radioactivity and the nuclear atom. There are explanations for some of the questions after you submit the quiz. If you could not figure out why a particular option is the answer, feel free to drop a comment below or ask a question in ‘O’ & ‘A’ Level Discussion section of the forum. If you wish to contribute questions to this quiz, please contact us.

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1. A nucleus is represented by $^{230}_{91} \text{Z}$. It emits one alpha-particle and then one beta-particle. What is the resulting nucleus X?

$^{226}_{88} \text{X}$

$^{226}_{89} \text{X}$

$^{230}_{89} \text{X}$

$^{226}_{90} \text{X}$

2. Which action will most increase a person's exposure to radioactivity?

eating food that has been sterilised by gamma rays

opening the windows of a house

Staying in a house near a nuclear power plant

going for a flight in a high-flying aircraft

3. $^{14}_{6} \text{C}$ represents a nuclide of the element carbon and $^{14}_{7} \text{N}$ a nuclide of nitrogen.

How does a neutral atom of $^{14}_{7} \text{N} $ differ from a neutral atom of $^{14}_{6} \text{C} $?

The nitrogen atom has one electron less than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one neutron more than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one proton less than the carbon atom.

The nitrogen atom has one proton more than the carbon atom.

4. A nucleus consists of 90 protons and 144 neutrons.

After emitting two beta-particles followed by an alpha-particle, this nucleus has:

86 protons and 142 neutrons.

86 protons and 140 neutrons.

90 protons and 140 neutrons.

90 protons and 142 neutrons.

5. A nuclide of the element plutonium is $^{242}_{94} \text{Pu}$.

What is the number of neutrons in its nucleus?

336

94

242

148

6. In a fission reactor, which particle causes a Uranium-235 nucleus to split?

proton

neutron

gamma ray

alpha-particle

7. What is the safest way to dispose of a large quantity of highly radioactive waste?

pumping it into a river

burning it on a fire

burying it in dry rock deep underground

pouring it down the drain

8. The half-life of a radioactive material is 24 years.

The activity of a sample falls to a fraction of its initial value after 72 years.

What is the fraction?

$\frac{1}{6}$

$\frac{1}{4}$

$\frac{1}{3}$

$\frac{1}{8}$

9. A detector is used to measure the count-rate near a radioactive source. The reading is 4000 counts per minute. After 30 minutes, the count-rate has fallen to 500 counts per minute.

What is the half-life of the radioactive source? You may ignore the effects of background radiation.

6 minutes

10 minutes

5 minutes

3 minutes

10. There are possible dangers when dealing with radioactive substances.

Which statement is correct?

Materials that emit only alpha-particles must be kept in thick lead containers.

Radioactive materials are safe to handle after two half-lives.

Gamma-radiation is more dangerous than alpha or beta because it has a longer half-life.

Beta-particles can pass through skin and damage body cells.

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