Exam 19: Nuclear Chemistry: Applications to Energy and Medicine

Particles emitted in radioactive decay have different penetrating power. The penetration depths of two particles, labeled X and Y, in a column of water are shown below. The Y particle most likely is not ________

The natural abundance of uranium-235 is ________

Tritium (³H) is used in glowing "EXIT" signs located where there is no electricity for lightbulbs. If the half-life of tritium is 12.26 years, what percentage of the original quantity of the isotope is left in the sign after 18.5 years?

Which graph below illustrates electron capture?

When an atom of uranium-235 captures a neutron, the product, uranium-236, is unstable and splits into two lighter nuclides. One of these fission reactions produces cesium, rubidium, and 2 neutrons. Write a balanced reaction equation for this fission process.

The major fissionable isotope of uranium used in nuclear power plants is ________

When an atom of uranium-235 captures a neutron, the product, uranium-236, is unstable and splits into two lighter nuclides. One of these fission reactions produces barium, krypton, and 3 neutrons. Write a balanced reaction equation for this fission process.

Uranium-235 enrichment involves separations of isotopes of UF₆ based on ________

Radon-220 decays to polonium-216. What particle is emitted?

Fluorine-18 is a radioactive isotope used as a tracer atom in drugs in the human body. How much fluorine-18 was originally used in a drug sample if there is only 0.124 mg left in a sample after 2.5 h? (The half-life of fluorine-18 is 110 minutes.)

In a Geiger counter, which is used to detect radioactivity, a particle produced by radioactive decay ________

Which graph below describes the decay of two radioactive nuclides, P and Q, when the half-life of Q is shorter than the half-life of P? In these graphs ln[N(0)/N(t)] is plotted on the y-axis, with time (t) on the x-axis. N(0) = number of radioactive nuclides present at time = 0, and N(t) = number present at time = t.

Carbon-14 measurements on the linen wrappings from the Book of Isaiah on the Dead Sea Scrolls indicated that the scrolls contained about 79.5% of the carbon-14 found in living tissue. Approximately how old are these scrolls? The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years.

When a positron and an electron collide, they ________

Electricity is produced from nuclear reactions by ________

Nitrogen-13 decays by ________ emission to produce ________.

Exposure to ionizing radiation usually is measured in units of milliSieverts (mSv). For example, one mammogram produces an exposure of 0.4 mSv. A sievert accounts for ________

Radioactive decay is a ________-order process.

Which process converts a neutron into a proton?

Which type of radiation has the lowest penetration ability?