Question 1

Which one of the following thicknesses of lead would be least effective in stopping $\beta$ rays?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.04 mm 
B) 0.15 mm 
C) 0.30 mm 
D) 0.45 mm 
E) 0.50 mm 
A) 0.04 mm 
B) 0.15 mm 
C) 0.30 mm 
D) 0.45 mm 
E) 0.50 mm

Question 2

Which one of the following quantities is not a conserved quantity according to the laws of physics?

Accepted Answer

A) electric charge 
B) nucleon number 
C) angular momentum 
D) linear momentum 
E) kinetic energy 
A) electric charge 
B) nucleon number 
C) angular momentum 
D) linear momentum 
E) kinetic energy

Question 3

How many neutrons are there in the nucleus   ?

Accepted Answer

A) 79 
B) 55 
C) 134 
D) 24 
E) 120 
A) 79 
B) 55 
C) 134 
D) 24 
E) 120

Question 4

Determine the activity of 6.0 × 1012 atoms of Rn-220 that has a half-life of 56 s.

Accepted Answer

A) 2.0 Ci 
B) 2.5 Ci 
C) 3.0 Ci 
D) 3.5 Ci 
E) 4.0 Ci 
A) 2.0 Ci 
B) 2.5 Ci 
C) 3.0 Ci 
D) 3.5 Ci 
E) 4.0 Ci

Question 5

Which one of the following types of nuclear radiation is not affected by a magnetic field?

Accepted Answer

A) alpha particles 
B) $\beta$- rays 
C) gamma rays 
D) $\beta$+ rays 
E) helium nuclei 
A) alpha particles 
B) $\beta$- rays 
C) gamma rays 
D) $\beta$+ rays 
E) helium nuclei

Question 6

In a certain $\gamma$ decay process, an excited neon atom emits a $\gamma$-ray that has an energy of 1.630 MeV. The neon atom in the ground state has a mass of 19.992 435 u. What is the mass of the excited neon atom?

Accepted Answer

A) 17.498 658 u 
B) 18.746 422 u 
C) 19.994 185 u 
D) 19.999 685 u 
E) 20.003 185 u 
A) 17.498 658 u 
B) 18.746 422 u 
C) 19.994 185 u 
D) 19.999 685 u 
E) 20.003 185 u

Question 7

If the uranium nucleus is at rest before its decay, which one of the following statements is true concerning the final nuclei?

Accepted Answer

A) They have equal kinetic energies, but the thorium nucleus has much more momentum. 
B) They have momenta of equal magnitudes, but the thorium nucleus has much more kinetic energy. 
C) They have equal kinetic energies and momenta of equal magnitudes. 
D) They have equal kinetic energies, but X has much more momentum. 
E) They have momenta of equal magnitudes, but X has much more kinetic energy. 
A) They have equal kinetic energies, but the thorium nucleus has much more momentum. 
B) They have momenta of equal magnitudes, but the thorium nucleus has much more kinetic energy. 
C) They have equal kinetic energies and momenta of equal magnitudes. 
D) They have equal kinetic energies, but X has much more momentum. 
E) They have momenta of equal magnitudes, but X has much more kinetic energy.

Question 8

Which entry in the table below describes the daughter nucleus when   decays by $\beta$- emission?

Accepted Answer

A)    
B)    
C)    
D)    
E)    
A)    
B)    
C)    
D)    
E)

Question 9

In a beta decay process, not all of the released energy is carried by the beta particle. Who proposed the existence of the neutrino in 1930 to account for the missing energy?

Accepted Answer

A) Niels Bohr 
B) Erwin Schrödinger 
C) Werner Heisenberg 
D) Wolfgang Pauli 
E) Enrico Fermi 
A) Niels Bohr 
B) Erwin Schrödinger 
C) Werner Heisenberg 
D) Wolfgang Pauli 
E) Enrico Fermi

Question 10

A sample contains 1000 nuclei of a radioactive isotope of barium. Exactly sixty seconds later, 970 nuclei in the sample have decayed. Determine the half-life of this isotope.

Accepted Answer

A) 10 s 
B) 12 s 
C) 14 s 
D) 16 s 
E) 18 s 
A) 10 s 
B) 12 s 
C) 14 s 
D) 16 s 
E) 18 s

Question 11

The nucleus of an atom has a radius of 5.61 × 10-15 m. If the nucleus contains 45 protons, how many neutrons does the nucleus contain?

Accepted Answer

A) 45 
B) 57 
C) 69 
D) 84 
E) 102 
A) 45 
B) 57 
C) 69 
D) 84 
E) 102

Question 12

The activity of a carbon-14 sample is 0.1 Ci. If this sample is burned, what is the activity of the resulting CO2?

Accepted Answer

A) zero curies 
B) 0.1 Ci 
C) 0.2 Ci 
D) 0.3 Ci 
E) 2.00 Ci 
A) zero curies 
B) 0.1 Ci 
C) 0.2 Ci 
D) 0.3 Ci 
E) 2.00 Ci

Question 13

Which process is used in the operation of the smoke detector discussed in Cutnell and Johnson's text?

Accepted Answer

A) alpha decay 
B) beta decay 
C) gamma decay 
D) X-ray absorption 
E) proton absorption 
A) alpha decay 
B) beta decay 
C) gamma decay 
D) X-ray absorption 
E) proton absorption

Question 14

What is the approximate radius of a nitrogen nucleus that has seven protons and seven neutrons?

Accepted Answer

A) 1.2 × 10-15 m 
B) 2.2 × 10-15 m 
C) 2.7 × 10-15 m 
D) 2.9 × 10-15 m 
E) 3.2 × 10-15 m 
A) 1.2 × 10-15 m 
B) 2.2 × 10-15 m 
C) 2.7 × 10-15 m 
D) 2.9 × 10-15 m 
E) 3.2 × 10-15 m

Question 15

Assuming the radius of a hydrogen atom is given by the Bohr radius, rBohr = 5.29 × 10-11 m, what is the ratio of the nuclear density of a hydrogen atom to its atomic density? Note: Assume for this calculation that the mass of the atom is equal to the mass of the proton.

Accepted Answer

A) 1.2 × 10-14 
B) 4.4 × 104 
C) 8.6 × 1013 
D) 3.9 × 1017 
E) 2.3 × 10-5 
A) 1.2 × 10-14 
B) 4.4 × 104 
C) 8.6 × 1013 
D) 3.9 × 1017 
E) 2.3 × 10-5

Question 16

The binding energy of an isotope of chlorine is 298 MeV. What is the mass defect of this chlorine nucleus in atomic mass units?

Accepted Answer

A) 3.13 u 
B) 2.30 u 
C) 0.882 u 
D) 0.320 u 
E) 0.034 u 
A) 3.13 u 
B) 2.30 u 
C) 0.882 u 
D) 0.320 u 
E) 0.034 u

Question 17

Determine the amount of energy released in the following alpha decay process:   The relevant atomic masses are   = 234.043 299 u,   =230.033 937 u, and   = 4.002 603 u.

Accepted Answer

A) 3.73 keV 
B) 927 keV 
C) 6.30 MeV 
D) 8.04 MeV 
E) 10.6 MeV 
A) 3.73 keV 
B) 927 keV 
C) 6.30 MeV 
D) 8.04 MeV 
E) 10.6 MeV

Exam 31: Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity

Which one of the following thicknesses of lead would be least effective in stopping β\betaβ rays?

Which one of the following quantities is not a conserved quantity according to the laws of physics?

How many neutrons are there in the nucleus ?

Determine the activity of 6.0 × 1012 atoms of Rn-220 that has a half-life of 56 s.

Which one of the following types of nuclear radiation is not affected by a magnetic field?

In a certain γ\gammaγ decay process, an excited neon atom emits a γ\gammaγ -ray that has an energy of 1.630 MeV. The neon atom in the ground state has a mass of 19.992 435 u. What is the mass of the excited neon atom?

If the uranium nucleus is at rest before its decay, which one of the following statements is true concerning the final nuclei?

Which entry in the table below describes the daughter nucleus when decays by β\betaβ - emission?

In a beta decay process, not all of the released energy is carried by the beta particle. Who proposed the existence of the neutrino in 1930 to account for the missing energy?

A sample contains 1000 nuclei of a radioactive isotope of barium. Exactly sixty seconds later, 970 nuclei in the sample have decayed. Determine the half-life of this isotope.

The nucleus of an atom has a radius of 5.61 × 10-15 m. If the nucleus contains 45 protons, how many neutrons does the nucleus contain?

The activity of a carbon-14 sample is 0.1 Ci. If this sample is burned, what is the activity of the resulting CO2?

Which process is used in the operation of the smoke detector discussed in Cutnell and Johnson's text?

What is the approximate radius of a nitrogen nucleus that has seven protons and seven neutrons?

Assuming the radius of a hydrogen atom is given by the Bohr radius, rBohr = 5.29 × 10-11 m, what is the ratio of the nuclear density of a hydrogen atom to its atomic density? Note: Assume for this calculation that the mass of the atom is equal to the mass of the proton.

The binding energy of an isotope of chlorine is 298 MeV. What is the mass defect of this chlorine nucleus in atomic mass units?

Determine the amount of energy released in the following alpha decay process: The relevant atomic masses are = 234.043 299 u, =230.033 937 u, and = 4.002 603 u.

Introduction and Mathematical Concepts

Kinematics in One Dimension

Kinematics in Two Dimensions

Forces and Newtons Laws of Motion

Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion

Work and Energy

Impulse and Momentum

Rotational Kinematics

Rotational Dynamics

Simple Harmonic Motion and Elasticity

Fluids

Temperature and Heat

The Transfer of Heat

The Ideal Gas Law and Kinetic Theory

Thermodynamics

Waves and Sound

The Principle of Linear Superposition and Interference Phenomena

Electric Forces and Electric Fields

Electric Potential Energy and the Electric Potential

Electric Circuits

Magnetic Forces and Magnetic Fields

Electromagnetic Induction

Alternating Current Circuits

Electromagnetic Waves

The Refl Ection of Light: Mirrors

The Refraction of Light: Lenses and Optical Instruments

Interference and the Wave Nature of Light

Special Relativity

Particles and Waves

The Nature of the Atom

Ionizing Radiation, Nuclear Energy, and Elementary Particles

Filters

Which one of the following thicknesses of lead would be least effective in stopping $\beta$ rays?

Determine the activity of 6.0 × 10¹² atoms of Rn-220 that has a half-life of 56 s.

In a certain $\gamma$ decay process, an excited neon atom emits a $\gamma$ -ray that has an energy of 1.630 MeV. The neon atom in the ground state has a mass of 19.992 435 u. What is the mass of the excited neon atom?

The nucleus of an atom has a radius of 5.61 × 10^-¹⁵ m. If the nucleus contains 45 protons, how many neutrons does the nucleus contain?

The activity of a carbon-14 sample is 0.1 Ci. If this sample is burned, what is the activity of the resulting CO₂?

Assuming the radius of a hydrogen atom is given by the Bohr radius, r_Bohr = 5.29 × 10^-¹¹ m, what is the ratio of the nuclear density of a hydrogen atom to its atomic density? Note: Assume for this calculation that the mass of the atom is equal to the mass of the proton.