Paper : Chemistry MCQ: Nuclear Chemistry (Part - 1)

Paper : Chemistry MCQ: Nuclear Chemistry (Part - 1)

Paper : Chemistry MCQ: Nuclear Chemistry (Part - 1)

Nuclear Chemistry:-

  1. Uranium-235 decays via a sequence of seven alpha decays and four beta decays to produce a stable nuclide. Which of the following is the nuclide that is produced?
  2. tungsten-207
  3. lead-207
  4. actinium-235
  5. proactinium-219
  6. uranium-238
  7. The half-life of tritium is 12.3 years. If 48.0 mg of tritium is released from a nuclear power plant during the course of an accident, calculate the mass (in mg) of the nuclide that will remain after 5.0 years.
  8. Nuclides that have neutron-to-proton ratios that are too HIGH (compared with stable nuclides) are expected to undergo:
  9. alpha decay.
  10. beta decay.
  11. positron decay.
  12. electron capture.
  13. none of the above.
  1. Radon-222 is a potentially serious problem in many homes. From which of the following naturally-occurring nuclides is radon-222 produced?
  2. carbon-12
  3. potassium-40
  4. iron-56
  5. thorium-232
  6. uranium-238
  1. Consider the following types of medical procedures,

i. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan
ii. CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scan
iii. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan
iv. Iodine-131 treatment of hyperthyroidism Which of these procedures involves X-rays?

  1. i and iii
  2. ii and iv
  3. iii and iv
  4. i only
  5. ii only
  1. Isotones are nuclides that have the same number of neutrons. Which of the following pairs of nuclides are isotones?
  2. oxygen-15 and nitrogen-15
  3. oxygen-16 and oxygen-17
  4. neon-20 and sodium-23
  5. magnesium-25 and aluminum-26
  6. None of these.
  1. Some lantern mantles are manufactured using thorium-232 to increase the durability of the mantle. Thorium-232 undergoes alpha decay with a half-life of 1.4 x 1010 years. Which of the following is the product nuclide of the decay of thorium-232?
  2. radium-228
  3. actinium-232
  4. proactinium-232
  5. uranium-236
  6. None of these.
  1. Nuclear fission of uranium-235 nuclei produces ON AVERAGE:
  2. 1 neutron.
  3. 2 neutrons.
  4. 3 neutrons.
  5. 4 neutrons.
  6. 5 neutrons.
  1. Uranium-234 radioactively decays by alpha-particle emission. The neutron-to-proton ratio of the product nuclide is:
  2. smaller than that for uranium-234.
  3. greater than that for uranium-234.
  4. the same as that for uranium-234.
  5. equal to 1.0.
  6. It is impossible to tell.
  1. Which of the following can be detected by a Geiger counter?
  2. alpha particles
  3. beta particles
  4. gamma rays
  5. All of these.
  6. None of these.
  1. Which of the following statements about radon-222 is TRUE?
  2. The radioactive decay products of radon-222 are solids.
  3. Radon-222 is produced via a series of radioactive decay steps from naturally-occurring plutonium.
  4. Radon-222 is a green gas that smells like lemons.
  5. The density of radon-222 is less than the density of air.
  6. None of these are TRUE.
  1. Strontium-90 is one of the harmful nuclides resulting from nuclear fission explosions. Strontium-90 decays by beta particle emission with a half-life of 28.0 years. How long (in years) would it take for 99.0% of a sample of strontium-90 released in an atmospheric test of an atomic bomb to decay?
  2. In which of the following medical diagnostic procedures is a radioactive substance introduced into the patient's body?
  3. MRI scan
  4. PET scan
  5. CAT scan
  6. DOG scan
  7. FISH scan
  1. Fluorine-18 radioactively decays by the emission of a positron. Which of the following is the product nuclide of this decay?
  2. nitrogen-14
  3. neon-18
  4. oxygen-18
  5. fluorine-17
  6. fluorine-18
  1. The chemistry of atoms, molecules and ions is determined primarily by the number and arrangement of which of the following?
  2. positrons
  3. electrons
  4. neutrons
  5. quarks
  6. alpha particles
  1. Uranium-235 decays in a series of steps to produce the stable nuclide, lead-207. Which of the following series of decays would produce lead-207 from uranium-235?
  2. 6 alpha + 2 beta
  3. 3 alpha + 3 positron
  4. 7 alpha + 4 beta
  5. 5 alpha + 6 beta
  6. 7 alpha
  1. Which of the following statements about food irradiation is TRUE?
  2. The irradiated food is radioactive.
  3. Irradiation of food produces chemical degradation products similar to those produced from cooking food using heat.
  4. Food irradiation employs positrons.
  5. The radioactive nuclide that is used in food irradiation is thorium-230.
  6. In the U.S., there are no foods which have been approved by the FDA for treatment by irradiation.
  1. Which of the following characteristics of particles produced by radioactive decay are important for assessing the potential for biological damage to living systems?
  2. mass
  3. charge
  4. penetrating ability
  5. kinetic energy
  6. All of these.
  1. The first orange "Fiestaware" dishes contained salts of uranium as pigments. If one of these "Fiestaware" dishes initially contained 0.50 g of uranium-238, calculate how long it would take (in years) for the uranium-238 to decay to 0.25 g. For uranium-238, t1/2 = 4.5 x 109 years.
  2. Which of the following nuclides is used medicinally to treat hyperthyroidism?
  3. uranium-238
  4. americium-241
  5. carbon-14
  6. iodine-131
  7. thorium-232
  1. In lecture, the use of radiation to treat food and other consumer products was discussed. Which of the following radioactive nuclides is currently being used for food irradiation?
  2. uranium-238
  3. radon-222
  4. carbon-14
  5. cobalt-60
  6. americium-241
  1. Carbon-14 radioactively decays via the emission of a beta particle. Which of the following is the product nuclide of this decay?
  2. beryllium-10
  3. boron-14
  4. carbon-13
  5. carbon-14
  6. nitrogen-14
  1. In fluorine-18, the neutron-to-proton ratio is too low and this nuclide undergoes radioactive decay. Which of the following decay processes would be expected to produce a nuclide with a neutron-to-proton ratio GREATER THAN that for fluorine-18?
  2. alpha decay
  3. beta decay
  4. gamma decay (only)
  5. positron decay
  6. None of these.
  1. Thorium-232 decays in a series of steps to produce the unstable nuclide, radon-220. Which of the following series of decays would produce radon-220 from thorium-232?
  2. 3 alpha + 2 beta
  3. 4 alpha + 2 beta
  4. 5 alpha + 2 beta
  5. 2 alpha + 3 beta
  6. 1 alpha + 2 beta
  1. The radioactive nuclide, radon-222, is a problem in the basements of many homes. Calculate how long (in days) it would take for a 3.65 g sample of radon-222 to decay to 1.34 g? Radon-222 decays by a first-order process with a half-life of 3.82 days.
  2. An archeologist unearths a bone sample and wants to know the age of the bone. Her chemist friend determines that 45.3% of the initial amount of carbon-14 is present in the bone sample. If the half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years, calculate the age (in years) of the bone.
  3. The following are produced by radioactive decay processes. Which one has the GREATEST mass?
  4. alpha particle
  5. beta particle
  6. gamma ray
  7. neutron
  8. positron
  1. In lecture, you observed an instrument gauge from a World War II vintage aircraft which had been painted with a radioactive element. Which of the following elements was used in the paint?
  2. uranium
  3. plutonium
  4. radium
  5. polonium
  6. neptunium
  1. Naturally occurring uranium-238 decays in a series of steps to produce the stable nuclide, lead-206 . Which of the following series of decays would produce lead-206 from uranium-238?
  2. 3 alpha + 4 beta
  3. 4 alpha + 3 beta
  4. 5 alpha + 2 beta
  5. 2 alpha + 5 beta
  6. 8 alpha + 6 beta
  1. One of the factors that determines how effective a particular type of radiation will be in causing biological damage is the mass of the particle. Which of the following has the GREATEST mass?
  2. alpha particle
  3. beta particle
  4. positron
  5. gamma ray
  6. neutron
  1. Paper : Chemistry MCQ: Nuclear Chemistry (Part - 2)
  2. Nuclear Chemistry:-
  3. The function of the MODERATOR in a nuclear power plant is to:
    1. carry the heat produced from the fission reactions to an external turbine.
    2. absorb neutrons and thereby control the fission reactions.
    3. protect the workers and the environment from radiation.
    4. slow down the neutrons produced from the fission reactions so that they can be absorbed by more fuel.
    5. None of the above responses is correct.
    34 In lecture, you observed an "EXIT" sign that contained a radioactive nuclide. Which of the following nuclides was used in the "EXIT" sign?
    1. uranium-238
    2. potassium-40
    3. hydrogen-3 (tritium)
    4. phosphorus-32
    5. carbon-14
    35 The neutron often plays a key role in radioactive decay because it is:
    1. attracted by the strong force.
    2. capable of converting to a proton and an electron.
    3. unaffected by the coulombic force.
    4. able to act as a nuclear "glue".
    5. All of these statements are true.
    36 When polonium-216 decays by the emission of one alpha particle and two beta particles, the product is the isotope:
    1. polonium-210
    2. polonium-212
    3. polonium-214
    4. polonium-218
    5. polonium-220
    37 The nuclide sulfur-35 is neutron-rich, therefore, it is likely to undergo radioactive decay by:
    1. beta emission.
    2. electron capture.
    3. positron emission.
    4. neutron emission.
    5. alpha emission.
    38 Based on the number of protons only, which of the following unknown nuclides is MOST likely to undergo radioactive decay?
    1. silicon-30
    2. germanium-72
    3. barium-130
    4. radon-216
    5. All of the above.
    39 In a graph of binding energy per nucleon vs. atomic mass, Fe, has the highest binding energy per nucleon of all nuclei. This means that:
    1. Fe is more stable than any other nuclide.
    2. Nuclei lighter than Fe become more stable by fission processes.
    3. Fe decays by positron emission.
    4. Nuclei heavier than Fe become more stable by fusion processes.
    5. All of these statements are true.
    40 The mass of one atom of chromium-52 is 51.9405 amu. The binding energy per nucleon for the chromium-52 nucleus is:
    1. 7.1 MeV
    2. 7.9 MeV
    3. 8.8 MeV
    4. 10.1 MeV
    5. 12.4 MeV
    41 Which of the following processes is an example of nuclear fusion?
    1. bismuth-209 + helium-4 --> astatine-211 + 2 neutrons
    2. hydrogen-2 + hydrogen-2 --> hydrogen-3 + hydrogen-1
    3. plutonium-239 + neutron --> americium-240 + beta particle
    4. uranium-239 --> neptunium-239 + beta particle
    5. None of the reactions involve fusion.
    42 Uranium-238 has a binding energy of approximately 7.5 MeV per nucleon. What spontaneous radioactive decay process would be predicted to occur as a result of bombarding uranium-238 with neutrons?
    1. beta particle emission
    2. a fission reaction
    3. electron capture
    4. a fusion reaction
    5. positron emission
    43 Ionizing radiation is many times more dangerous to biological systems than non-ionizing radiation. The radiation that causes the most damage, if ingested, is:
    1. alpha particles.
    2. beta particles.
    3. gamma rays.
    4. protons.
    5. ultraviolet.
    44 Orange-colored Fiesta tableware causes a Geiger counter to emit a rapid clicking sound. The BEST explanation of this phenomenon is that the pottery:
    1. has a lead glaze.
    2. undergoes fusion.
    3. is made with uranium ores.
    4. emits neutrons.
    5. is painted with radium-based paints.
    45 Isotopes with neutron to proton ratios that are too low would be expected to

46 undergo radioactive decay by which one of the following processes? That is, which of the following processes would result in an increase in the neutron to proton ratio?
1. neutron emission
2. beta particle emission
3. alpha particle emission
4. gamma ray emission
5. positron emission
47 The presence of radon-222 in homes poses a serious health risk. Radon-222 decays by alpha particle emission with a half-life of 3.8 days. Which of the following is the product nuclide from this decay?
1. astatine-221
2. francium-222
3. astatine-222
4. radon-221
5. polonium-218
48 Naturally occurring uranium-238 decays in a series of steps to produce the stable nuclide, lead-206. The product nuclide that results after the seventh step in this decay series is polonium-218. Which of the following series of decays would produce polonium-218 from uranium-238?
1. 3 alpha + 4 beta
2. 4 alpha + 3 beta
3. 5 alpha + 2 beta
4. 2 alpha + 5 beta
5. 1 alpha + 6 beta
49 Which of the following types of radiation generally has the greatest potential for biological damage?
1. alpha particles
2. beta particles
3. gamma rays
4. positrons
5. neutrons
50 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical diagnostic technique that is based on which one of the following processes?
1. neutron bombardment
2. fission
3. annhilation
4. fusion
5. electron scattering
51 An isotope of an element decays by emitting an alpha particle and forming lead-208. The original element was:
1. Bi
2. Hg
3. Po
4. Rn
5. Tl
52 The only stable isotope of fluorine is fluorine-19. What type of radioactivity would you expect from the isotope fluorine-18, which has one less neutron?
1. protons
2. neutrons
3. beta particles
4. positrons
5. alpha particles
53 The isotope with the greatest nuclear binding energy per nucleon is:
1. hydrogen-2
2. helium-4
3. carbon-14
4. iron-56
5. uranium-238
54 The carbon-14 activity of some ancient Peruvian corn was found to be 10 disintegrations/minute/gram. If present-day plant life shows 15 disintegrations/minute/gram, how old is the Peruvian corn? The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years.
1. 1,455 years
2. 1,910 years
3. 3,350 years
4. 3,820 years
5. 9,080 years
55 Which type of nuclear process requires a temperature of over a million degrees?
1. beta particle production
2. fission reaction
3. alpha particle emission
4. fusion reaction
5. positron production
56 In passing through matter, alpha particles lose energy and damage tissues by producing:
1. neutrons.
2. gamma rays.
3. radiation.
4. beta particles.
5. ions.
57 It is well-known that uranium isotopes can undergo fission reactions and that hydrogen isotopes can undergo fusion reactions. These reactions are examples of a drive toward:
1. equilibrium.
2. thermodynamic stability.
3. negative
4. kinetic stability.
5. positive
58 Which of the following balanced equations indicates a FUSION reaction?
1. bismuth-209 + helium-4 --> astatine-211 + 2 neutrons
2. helium-2 + hydrogen-2 --> hydrogen-3 + hydrogen-1
3. plutonium-239 + neutron --> americium-240 + beta particle
4. uranium-239 --> neptunium-239 + beta particle
5. beryllium-7 + electron --> lithium-7
59 Which statement is FALSE?
1. The larger the binding energy per nucleon, the more stable the nucleus.
2. The alpha particle has a charge of 2+.
3. The mass of a nucleus is always less than the original mass of its constituent protons and neutrons.
4. Alpha particle production is the only route by which unstable nuclei can spontaneously decay.
5. Alpha particles are more massive than beta particles.
60 Iron-49 decays by positron emission with a half-life of 0.08 seconds. What nuclide is produced in this decay process?
1. manganese-49
2. cobalt-49
3. chromium-45
4. iron-48
5. None of these.
61 The following are produced in radioactive decay processes. Which one has neither mass nor charge?
1. alpha particles
2. beta particles
3. gamma rays
4. positrons
5. neutrons
62The function of the CONTROL RODS in a nuclear power plant is to:
1. slow the neutrons down so that they can cause fission.
2. absorb the heat produced so that it can be carried to an external turbine.
3. absorb neutrons to control the amount of fission that is occuring.
4. provide the fuel needed for fission to occur.
5. None of the above.
63 Smoke detectors contain a small amount of americium-241. What is the final product nuclide if americium-241 radioactively decays by a total of eight alpha decays and four beta decays?
1. rhenium-209
2. gold-209
3. bismuth-209
4. plutonium-237
5. americium-225

Top View