STRUCTURED QUESTIONS ON RADIOACTIVITY

1. Beta particles are A. electrons B. protons C. neutrons D. helium nuclei

Solution: A
2. Which of the following are emitted from a radioactive substance without altering the mass
number or atomic number of the substance? A. proton B. alpha particles C. neutrons D.
gamma rays
Solution: D
3. Which of the following has the greatest ionizing power? A. proton B. alpha particles C. beta
particles D. gamma rays
Solution: B
4. Which of the following has the greatest penetrating power? A. proton B. alpha particles C.
beta particles D. gamma rays
Solution: D
5. Which of the following can be stopped by a sheet of paper? A. X rays B. alpha particles C.
beta particles D. gamma rays
Solution: B
6. What is the charge to mass ratio of an alpha particle in C/kg? A. 3.20×10 7 B. 4.83×107 C.
5.67×107 D. 6.26×107
Solution: Charge=+2e=2×1.602×10-19=3.204×10-19C
Mass=4u=4×1.66×10-27kg
q/m=3.204×10-19/6.64×10-27=4.83×107C/kg(B)
7. In a radioactive series,
235 235 235 231
92L 93M 94N 92O
The particles emitted are respectively A. β, β, α particles B. α, γ, β particles C. γ, α, β particles
D. α, α, β particles
Solution: From 23592L23593M
Atomic or proton number is increased by 1, hence β particle is emitted
From 23593M23594N
Atomic or proton number also increased by 1, another β particle is emitted.
From 23594M23192N
The mass number is reduced by 4 and the atomic number is reduced by 2. This is an alpha
particle emission. Therefore, the answer is A.
8. Eight alpha decays and six beta decays are necessary before an atom of 23892U achieves
stability. The final product in the chain has an atomic number of A. 70 B. 78 C. 82 D. 90
Solution: 8 alpha decays=8(42He)=3216He
6 beta decays=6(0-1e)=0-6e
238 32 0 238-32
92U- 16He- -6e 92-16-(-6)X
238 206
92U 82X The atomic number is 82(C)
9. An element X of atomic number 88 and mass number 226 decays to form an element Z by
emitting two beta particles and an alpha particle. Z is represented by A. 22282Z B. 22288Z C. 22686Z
D. 22680Z
Solution: Element=22688X
2 beta particles=2(0-1e)=0-2e
An alpha particle=1(42He)=42He
 226 0 4 226-0-4
88X- -2e- 2He 88-(-2)-2Z
222
= 88Z(B)
10. Radium has a half life of 1600 years. A lead box contained 24×10 6 atoms of radium in 1976.
How many atoms of radium will remain in the box in the year 5176? A. 24×10 6 atoms B.
18×106 atoms C. 12×106 atoms D. 6×106 atoms
Solution: T=1600yrs t=5176-1976=3200yrs
n=t/T=3200/1600=2
N=(1/2)nNo=(1/2)2×24×106=6×106 atoms(D)
11. A radioactive substance has a half life of 20 days. What fraction of the original radioactive
nuclei will remain after 80 days? A. 1/16 B. 1/8 C. ¼ D. 1/32
Solution: T=20, t=80, n=t/T=80/20=4
N=(1/2)nNo=(1/2)4No=1/16No(A)
12. A radioactive sample initially contains N atoms. After 3 half lives the number of atoms that
have disintegrated is A. N/8 B. 3/8N C. 5/8N D. 7/8N
Solution: n=3
Number remaining=(1/2)nN=(1/2)3N=1/8N
Number decayed=N-1/8N=7/8N(D)
13. The half life of a radioactive substance is 10 days. If a sample of the substance weighed 10N
twenty days ago, what would be its mass now? (g=10ms -2) A. 2.00kg B. 0.75kg C. 0.50kg D.
0.25kg
Solution: T=10 days No=10N, t=20 days, n=t/T=20/10=2
N=(1/2)nNo=(1/2)2×10=2.5N
Mass=W/g=2.5/10=0.25kg(D)
14. 4g of a radioactive material of half life 10 days is spilled on a laboratory floor. How long
would it take to disintegrate 3.5g of the material? A. ¼ days B. ¾ days C. 30 days D. 80 days
Solution: No=4g, T=10 days
Disintegrating 3.5g means leaving(4-3.5)=0.5g
Thus, N=0.5g
N=(1/2)nNo 0.5=(1/2)n×4 (1/2)n=0.5/4 1/8=(1/2)3
Therefore, n=3 t/T=3 t/10=3 t=10(3)=30days(C)
15. A piece of radioactive material contains 1000 atoms. If its half life is 20 seconds, the time
taken for 125 atoms to remain is A. 20 seconds B. 40 seconds C. 60 seconds D. 80 seconds
Solution: No=1000, T=20, N=125
N=(1/2)nNo N/No=(1/2)n 125/1000=(1/2)n 1/8=(1/2)3
n=3, t/T=3, t/20=3 t=20(3)=60s(C)
16. If the decay constant of a radioactive substance is 0.231s -1, the half life is A. 3.00s B. 0.12s C.
0.33s D. 1.50s
Solution: ƛ=Ln 2/T=0.693/T
T=0.693/ƛ=0.693/0.231=3s(A)
17. A radioactive isotope has a decay constant of 10-5s-1. Calculate its half life A. 6.93×104s B.
6.93×10-6 C. 6.93×10-5s D. 6.93×105s
Solution: T=0.693/ƛ=0.693/10-5=6.93×104s(A)
18. A radioactive element decreases in mass from 100g to 15g in 6 days. What is the half life of
the radioactive material? A. 2.2 days B. 3.5 days C. 4.6 days D. 5.4 days
 Solution: N=N0e-ƛt
15=100e-6ƛ 15/100=e-6ƛ
Take Ln of both sides
Ln 0.15=Lne-6ƛ -1.897=-6ƛ ƛ=-1.897/-6=0.316day-1
T=0.693/ƛ=0.693/0.316=2.2 days(A)
19. The time it will take a certain radioactive material with a half life of 50 days to reduce to 1/32
of its original number is A. 300 days B. 150 days C. 200 days D. 250 days
Solution: N=(1/2)nNo N/No=(1/2)n
1/32=(1/2)n (1/2)5=(1/2)n n=5
t/T=5 t/50=5 t=50(5)=250 days(D)
20. In 90 seconds, the mass of a radioactive element reduces to 1/32 of its original value.
Determine the half life of the element. A. 18s B. 36s C. 20s D. 40s
Solution: N/No=(1/2)n 1/32=(1/2)n (1/2)5=(1/2)n n=5
t/T=5 90/T=5 90/5=T T=18s(A)
21. A piece of radioactive material contains 10 20 atoms. If the half life of the material is 20
seconds, the number of disintegrations in the first second is A. 3.47×10 18 B. 6.93×1020 C.
3.47×1020 D. 6.93×1018
Solution: ƛ=0.693/T=no of decaying atom/s/Total number of atoms
0.693/20=x/1020 x=0.693×1020/20=3.47×1018(A)
22. A radioactive element decays to one eighth of its original quantity in 9 seconds. Calculate its
decay constant. A. 0.23s-1 B. 0.46s-1 C. 0.20s-1 D. 0.40s-1
Solution: N/No=(1/2)n 1/8=(1/2)n (1/2)3=(1/2)n n=3
t/T=3 9/T=3 T=9/3=3s
ƛ=0.693/T=0.693/3=0.231=0.23s-1(A)
23. Which of the following materials is used to slow down the neutrons in a nuclear reactor? A.
Boron rods B. concrete shield C. graphite rods D. uranium rods
Solution: C
24. Which of the following materials is used to control the rate of neutron production in a
nuclear reactor? A. Boron rods B. concrete shields C. graphite rods D. uranium rods
Solution: A
Boron rods are absorb neutrons if there are too many neutrons which may speed up the
reaction.
Graphite rods slow down the neutron without absorbing it, so that the chain reaction is
prevented from dying out.
25. What type of reaction is represented by the following scheme?
2 2 3 1
1X+ 1H 2Z+ 0n
A. fusion reaction B. fission reaction C. chain reaction D. radioactive decay
Solution: A
Lighter elements are combined to form a heavier one with a liberation of energy.
26. An atomic nucleus consists of protons and neutrons. The energy equivalent of the mass
difference between a nucleus and its constituents is the A. Nuclear energy B. Heat energy C.
Binding energy D. Electrical energy
Solution: C
27. In a fission of uranium isotope, a mass defect of 0.25a.m.u is observed. Calculate the binding
energy of the isotope. (1a.m.u=931Mev, 1ev=1.6×10-19J) A. 1.25×10-19J B. 3.72×10-11J C.
1.49×10-10J D. 1.86×10-9J
Solution: 0.25a.m.u=0.25×931Mev=0.25×931×106×1.6×10-19
Binding energy=3.72×10-11J(B)
28. In a nuclear reaction, the mass defect is 2×10 -6g. Calculate the energy released, given that the
velocity of light is 3×108m/s A. 9×107J B. 1.8×108J C. 1.8×109J D. 9×1010J
Solution: mass defect=2×10-6/1000=2×10-9kg
Energy=mc2=2×10-9×(3×108)2=1.8×108J(B)
29. A material of mass 1×10-3kg undergoes a fission process which decreases its mass by 0.2%.
Calculate the amount of energy released in the process (c=3.0×10 8m/s) A. 1.8×1013J B.
1.8×1012J C. 1.8×1011J D. 1.8×1010J
Solution: Decrease in mass=0.2/100×1×10-3=2×10-6kg
Energy=mc2=2×10-6×(3×108)2=1.8×1011J(C)
30. In a nuclear fusion experiment, the loss of mass amounts to 1.0×10-6kg. The amount of
energy obtained from the fusion is A. 3.0×10-4J B. 3.0×10-1J C. 9.0×104J D. 9.0×1010J
(c=3.0×108ms-1)
Solution: mass defect=1.0×10-6kg
Energy=mc2=1×10-6×(3×108)2=9×1010J(D)
31. 21H+31H42He+10X+Energy
The particle X in the fusion reaction above is A. An electron B. A positron C. A proton D. A
neutron
Solution: 21H+31H42He+mnX+ Energy
2+3=4+m m=1 1+1=2+n n=0
Thus, X=10n=neutron (D)
32. The phenomenon of radioactivity was first discovered by A. Marie Curie B. Sir J. J. Thompson
C. Henri Becquerel D. Niels Bohr
Solution: C
33. The binding energy of Helium 42He is A. 2.017u B. 0.033u C. 4.033u D. 0.330u (Atomic mass of
proton=1.00783u, atomic mass of neutron=1.00867u)
Solution: Number of protons=2 Number of neutrons=4-2=2
Mass of protons=2(1.00783u)=2.01566u
Mass of neutrons=2(1.00867u)=2.01734u
Total mass of nucleons=2.01566u+2.01734u=4.033u
Binding energy= mass of nucleons-mass of nucleus
=4.033u-4u=0.033u(B)
34. The half life of a radioactive substance is 2 seconds. Calculate the decay constant. A. 0.236s -1
B. 0.347s-1 C. 0.487s-1 D. 0.565s-1
Solution: ƛ=0.693/T=0.693/2=0.3465=0.347s-1 (B)
35. In a nuclear fission process, four protons each of mass M p were fused to produce a nucleus X
of mass Mx. Which of the following equations is correct? A. 4MP>MX B. 4MP=MX C. 4MP<MX D.
MP=MX
Solution: A
As the four protons combine to form the nucleus, mass is lost in form of binding energy.
Therefore, total mass of the nucleons will be greater than the mass of the nucleus.