Leaving Cert Chemistry - Radioactivity

Which French scientist is credited with discovering radioactivity in 1896?
1. Henri Becquerel
2. Pierre Curie
3. Antoine Lavoisier
4. Louis Pasteur
One of the elements discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie is named after the country of birth of Marie Curie. Which element is this?
1. Polonium
2. Francium
3. Americium
4. Germanium
Which of these metals is used as a shield against radioactive emissions?
1. Uranium
2. Radium
3. Lead
4. Gold
Which one of the following statements is NOT correct concerning alpha-particles?
1. They are composed of helium nuclei
2. They have a positive charge
3. They are emitted from unstable nuclei
4. They can penetrate thick sheets of lead
Which one of the following is a property of beta-particles?
1. They have the greatest penetrating power
2. They are negatively charged
3. They are heavier than alpha-particles
4. They do not have mass
Which one of the following is NOT a property of gamma radiation?
1. Gamma radiation nas no mass
2. It has a high penetrating power
3. Gamma radiation has no charge
4. It can be deflected in magnetic fields
Which one of the following radioisotopes is used in medicine to kill cancerous cells?
1. carbon-14
2. uranium-238
3. cobolt-60
4. phosphorous-32
Radioactivity may be detected by which one of the following instruments?
1. Ratemeter
2. Atomic clock
3. Multimeter
4. Geiger-Muller tube
Radium-226 may decay by the emission of an alpha-particle. Which one of the following sets of products would result in such a decay?
Note - Radium has an atomic number of 88.
Which one of the following reactions is NOT correct?
The half-life of a radioisotope is
1. the time taken for half of the nuclei in any given sample to decay
2. the time taken for half of the nuclei in any given sample to disappear
3. the number of nuclei of that radioisotope that will decay in half an hour
4. the time taken for half of the nuclei in a given sample of the radioisotope to change into another element
The half-life of technetium-99 is 6 hours. How much of a 100 milligram sample of technetium-99 will remain after 30 hours?
1. 1.56 mg
2. 3.125 mg
3. 6.25 mg
4. 12.5 mg
The graph shows how the radioactivity of a particular isotope varies with time. What is the half-life of this isotope?
1. 5 days
2. 10 days
3. 2.5 days
4. 12.5 days
The reading taken on a ratemeter due to natural radioactivity is known as the
1. background count
2. background rate
3. background noise
4. background sound
Which one of the following would most likely be the penetration by an alpha-particle?
1. 4 to 6 cm of air
2. 4 to 6 cm of aluminium
3. 4 to 6 m of air
4. 4 to 6 cm of lead
Which one of the following is true when a nucleus undergoes radioactive decay?
1. A new element is always formed
2. Alpha-particles are always emitted
3. Beta-particles are always emitted
4. The unstable nucleus loses energy
Which one of the following would NOT be a use of radioisotopes?
1. Putting a date on the remains of a dinosaur
2. Tracing leaks from underground pipes
3. Dating of silverware found in an archaeological site
4. Irradiation of tropical fruits before consuming them
In beta decay the total number of nucleons
1. remains the same
2. decreases by two
3. decreases by four
4. increases by one
When beta decay occurs in a radioactive isotope, the atomic number (Z) always
1. stays the same
2. increases by one
3. decreases by one
4. increases by two
In the following equation for radioactive decay, what are the values of A and Z?
1. A = 239, Z = 93
2. A = 237, Z = 93
3. A = 239, Z = 91
4. A = 237, Z = 91
Which one of the following is a property of gamma rays?
1. They are negatively charged
2. Its symbol is
3. They have no mass or charge
4. They have poor penetrating ability
Which one of the following sets of products are from the beta-decay of Pb-212, where the atomic number of lead is 82?
How much of a radioisotope will have decayed after two half-lives?
1. 25%
2. 50%
3. 75%
4. 12.5%
The process of determining the age of a fossil is known as
1. smoke detecting
2. radioactive dating
3. carbon dating
4. irradiation

Leaving Cert Chemistry - Radioactivity

Multiple Choice Quiz