Name Period Date ___
Physical Science Chapter 10 Study Guide
1. What happens to an element after alpha decay? ______
· What is alpha decay? ______
· How can you tell by the resulting transmutation if radioactive decay is alpha? ______
· When is alpha decay dangerous to people? ______
2. What is beta decay? ______
· What 2 particles are released when the neutron breaks down? ______, ______
· How can you tell by the resulting transmutation if radioactive decay is beta? ______
· When is beta decay dangerous to people? ______
3. What kind of particle is gamma radiation? ______
· What does it take to stop gamma rays? ______
4 List 4 ways you are exposed to radiation. ______, ______
______, ______
5. What are two ways to detect radiation? ______, ______
· How does a Geiger counter work? ______
· Who would use a badge? ______
6. What is half-life? ______
· How much variation in half-life is in 2 samples of the same material? ______
· Are chemical reactions as uniform in terms of rate? ______
7. Iodine 131 has a half-life of 8.00 days. A sample weights 120 grams at the beginning of a test.
How much will be left in 8 days? ______16 days? ______24 days? ______
· What percentage is left for each of above? 8 days? _____ 16 days? _____ 24 days? ____
8. What is the half-life of carbon-14? ______How old can it date? ______
· Why can’t it date older? ______
· What radioisotope would you use to date rocks? ______
9. What fuel does a nuclear power plant use to produce power? ______
· Water is used 2 different ways, how? ______
· (2nd way) ______
10. Name 3 types of pollution produced by nuclear power plants and the dangers of each.
· ______---______
· ______---______
· ______---______
11. What is transmutation? ______
· Who did the first transmutation? ______
· What has to happen? ______
· Is it a chemical or nuclear reaction? ______
12. What are transuranium elements? ______
· Can they be made from other elements? ______
13. Who developed E=MC2? ______
· What is E? ______What is C? ______What is M? ______
14. What country developed the atomic bomb? ______
· What country was the first to explode one? ______What year? ______
· What country was the first to bomb another country with one? ______
15. What is fission? ______
· Are we using it for energy?______What percentage? ______
16. What is fusion? ______
· Are we using it for energy?______
· Why or why not? ______
· Why is plasma important for it? ______
17. What does a particle accelerator do? ______
· Where is the big one in the U.S.? ______
18. What is the “strong force? ______
· Is it powerful in large or small atoms? ______
19. What are electrical forces in an atom? ______
· Is it powerful in large or small atoms? ______
· Which is more stable, large or small atoms? ______Why?______
20. What temperature is required for fusion to occur? ______
· Where does it happen naturally? ______
21. What are 3 steps in the operation of a Geiger counter? ______, ______, ______