Types Of Radioactive Decay

25 July 2022
4.7 (114 reviews)
17 test answers

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers (13)
question
Why do the isotopes of a particular element behave differently in nuclear reactions but the same in chemical reactions?
answer
Chemical reactions involve changes to electrons in an atom; isotopes do not differ in electrons, and so they react the same way during chemical changes. Nuclear reactions involve changes to protons and neutrons in an atom; isotopes differ in neutrons, and so they react differently to these changes.
question
Isotopes behave similarly in
answer
chemical reactions
question
__________ involve only a rearrangement of electrons, and do not involve changes in protons or neutrons.
answer
chemical reactions
question
In __________ a large amount of energy is released or absorbed.
answer
nuclear reactions
question
New elements can be formed as a result of __________
answer
nuclear reactions
question
Exothermic and endothermic reactions can occur during
answer
both chemical and nuclear reactions
question
Which would result in radioactive decay?
answer
a neutron-to-proton ratio of 1:2 in a large nucleus a nucleus that contains 90 protons and 100 neutrons any isotope of the element uranium, which has atomic number 92
question
Which type of radioactive decay produces particles with a positive charge and very small mass?
answer
beta
question
Which type of radioactive decay produces radiation with zero mass?
answer
gamma
question
Which type of radioactive decay produces radiation that requires lead shielding?
answer
gamma
question
Which type of radioactive decay produces radiation that can be stopped by a sheet of paper?
answer
alpha
question
Which type of radioactive decay produces particles with the most mass?
answer
alpha
question
An atom that has 84 protons and 86 neutrons undergoes a reaction. At the end of the reaction, it has 82 protons and 84 neutrons. What happened to the atom?
answer
It emitted an alpha particle in a nuclear reaction.
question
How can a scientist assess whether a pure niobium (Nb) sample is responsible for contaminating the lab with radioactivity?
answer
Test the niobium sample to see whether it now contains other elements.
question
Which statement correctly compares chemical reactions with nuclear reactions?
answer
In chemical reactions, small amounts of energy can be absorbed or released. In nuclear reactions, changes in energy are much larger.
question
What is the most penetrating kind of radiation product that can be shielded with aluminum foil?
answer
beta particles
question
Which can have either a positive charge or a negative charge when they are released during radioactive decay?
answer
beta particles