Question 1

Which of the following units is used to quantify the biological effects of radiation?

Accepted Answer

A)  curies
B)  sieverts
C)  rads
D)  becquerels
E)  joulesF) A) and C)
G) C) and D) B

Question 2

Radiation seed therapy is a common method for treating some prostate cancers and brain tumors. Iodine-125, with a half-life of 60 days, is one isotope used for this treatment. How long does it take for the activity of iodine-125 to decrease to 5.0% of its initial value?

Accepted Answer

A)  4.44 days
B)  17.57 days
C)  221 days
D)  259 days
E)  354 daysF) B) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 3

Radiation seed therapy is a common method for treating some prostate cancers and brain tumors. Cesium-131, which decays by electron capture and gamma ray emission with a half-life of 9.69 days, is a new isotope proposed for such treatment. If a tumor were seeded with 1.00 g of cesium-131 (130.91 g/mol) , what would the initial radioactivity level be? Note: 1 Ci = 3.70  1010/s.

Accepted Answer

A)  5.84 mCi
B)  78.3 mCi
C)  103 mCi
D)  254 mCi
E)  39.4 mCiF) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 4

Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope that was used as a fatal toxin in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, in 2006. What type of emission process is likely for this isotope?

Accepted Answer

A)  alpha
B)  beta
C)  positron
D)  gamma ray
E)  X-rayF) A) and C)
G) None of the above A

Question 5

Which of the following is not true about radon gas?
I. Damage from radon stems from radioactive decay rather than the toxicity of the gas itself.
II. Radon gas is a potential danger in well-insulated homes.
III. Uranium-238 in the soil generates radon gas through radioactive decay.
IV. Radon-222 and its decay product emit  particles that can damage the lungs.

Accepted Answer

A)  I and II
B)  II and III
C)  III and IV
D)  I, II and II
E)  All statements are true.F) B) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 6

Low-level nuclear waste from medical facilities generally requires only short-term storage before disposal because ________

Accepted Answer

A)  the concentrations of radioactive isotopes used in medicine are very low.
B)  the radioactive isotopes are degraded by the medical procedures.
C)  the radioactive isotopes used in medicine have short half-lives.
D)  the radioactive isotopes used in medicine are selected because they are naturally safe.
E)  there is little government regulation regarding the disposal of medical waste.F) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 7

In the initial sequence of thorium-232 decay, an alpha particle is emitted followed by a beta particle. What is the product of these two decay steps?

Accepted Answer

A)  radium-228
B)  actinium-228
C)  thorium-228
D)  francium-228
E)  The correct answer differs from these possibilities.F) B) and E)
G) A) and B) B

Question 8

Nuclear fusion produces energy because ________

Accepted Answer

A)  neutrons are produced.
B)  the total mass of the products is less than that of the reactants.
C)  the total mass of the products is more than that of the reactants.
D)  it is a very powerful chemical reaction.
E)  photons are produced.F) A) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 9

Artificial sources account for approximately ________ of annual radiation exposure to a human.

Accepted Answer

A)  80%
B)  5%
C)  95%
D)  20%
E)  100%F) None of the above
G) A) and E)

Question 10

If a nitrogen-14 nuclide captures an alpha particle, a proton is produced along with ________

Accepted Answer

A)  neutrons.
B)  boron-10.
C)  oxygen-17.
D)  fluorine-18.
E)  carbon-17.F) C) and E)
G) A) and E)

Question 11

Provide three examples of artificial radiation sources to which humans are exposed. Do these constitute the majority or minority of human radiation exposure?

Accepted Answer

Consumer products, X-ray radia...

Question 12

A half-life is ________

Accepted Answer

A)  the life that a nuclear chemist leads.
B)  half of the lifetime of an unstable nucleus.
C)  the time for one-half of the unstable nuclei to decay.
D)  constantly changing.
E)  independent of the rate constant for decay.F) None of the above
G) A) and E)

Question 13

Light elements with Z  20 generally have a neutron/proton ratio about equal to ________

Accepted Answer

A)  0.5.
B)  0.8.
C)  1.0.
D)  1.3.
E)  1.5.F) B) and C)
G) A) and D)

Question 14

In 2002, a wooden beam from the Wupatki Indian ruin in Arizona was found to contain 235 mg of carbon-14. A sample of wood of the same mass cut sometime in 2002 contained 264 mg of carbon-14. When was the beam from Wupatki cut if the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,715 years?

Accepted Answer

A)  1974 A.D.
B)  750 A.D.
C)  959 A.D.
D)  1042 A.D.
E)  926 A.D.F) C) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 15

Radiation seed therapy is a common method for treating some prostate cancers and brain tumors. Palladium-103 is one isotope used for this treatment. Palladium-103 decays with a half-life of 17 days by emitting X-rays with a photon energy of 23,000 eV. What mass of palladium-103 would have to be embedded in a 25 g tumor to produce a radiation dose of 125 Gy in 2 months' time (60 days) ? Note: 1 Gy = 1 J/kg, and 1 eV = 1.60  1019 J.

Accepted Answer

A)  0.37 g
B)  0.31 g
C)  0.10 g
D)  0.23 g
E)  0.16 gF) A) and B)
G) C) and E)

Question 16

A number of techniques are used for diagnostic imaging of internal body organs. Which of these involve ionizing radiation and therefore pose a risk for cancer?
I. CT scan (X-ray computed tomography) 
II. MRI scan (radio-wave magnetic resonance imaging) 
III. US scan (ultrasound) 
IV. Nuclear heart scan (radioactive tracer) 
V. EKG (electrocardiograph)

Accepted Answer

A)  I and IV
B)  I, II, and IV
C)  IV only
D)  I, IV, and V
E)  II, IV, and VF) A) and E)
G) A) and C)

Question 17

A nerdy Scotch-drinking physicist, Nicola, suspected that the 50-year-old Scotch she purchased was misrepresented. Reasoning that water must contain the radioactive hydrogen isotope, tritium, because this isotope is produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays, she decided she could use the tritium concentration in the Scotch to determine when it was bottled. She found that the tritium concentration in the Scotch was only 64% that of the tritium concentration in the water on the Isle of Islay where the Scotch was bottled. How old, really, was this 50-year-old Scotch? The half-life of tritium is 12.3 years.

Accepted Answer

A)  6 years
B)  8 years
C)  12 years
D)  24 years
E)  It really was 50 years old.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 18

Plutonium-238 is an  emitter and a compact heat source. Coupled with a PbTe thermoelectric device, it was once used as a very reliable electrical energy source for cardiac pacemakers. What is the product of the radioactive decay of plutonium-238?

Accepted Answer

A)  thorium-230
B)  uranium-234
C)  curium-242
D)  californium-246
E)  plutonium-234F) C) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 19

A number of techniques are used for diagnostic imaging of internal body organs. Which of these do not involve ionizing radiation and therefore do not pose a risk for producing cancer?
I. CT scan (X-ray computed tomography) 
II. MRI scan (radio-wave magnetic resonance imaging) 
III. US scan (ultrasound) 
IV. Nuclear heart scan (radioactive tracer) 
V.EKG (electrocardiograph)

Accepted Answer

A)  I and IV
B)  II and III
C)  III only
D)  III and V
E)  II, III, and VF) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 20

The peak in nuclear binding energy/nucleon occurs for an isotope of ________

Accepted Answer

A)  helium.
B)  iron.
C)  uranium.
D)  carbon.
E)  lead.F) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Exam 19: Nuclear Chemistry: Applications to Energy and Medicine

Which of the following units is used to quantify the biological effects of radiation?

Correct Answer
verified
B

Radiation seed therapy is a common method for treating some prostate cancers and brain tumors. Iodine-125, with a half-life of 60 days, is one isotope used for this treatment. How long does it take for the activity of iodine-125 to decrease to 5.0% of its initial value?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope that was used as a fatal toxin in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, in 2006. What type of emission process is likely for this isotope?

Correct Answer
verified
A

Correct Answer
verified

Low-level nuclear waste from medical facilities generally requires only short-term storage before disposal because ________

Correct Answer
verified

In the initial sequence of thorium-232 decay, an alpha particle is emitted followed by a beta particle. What is the product of these two decay steps?

Correct Answer
verified
B

Nuclear fusion produces energy because ________

Correct Answer
verified

Artificial sources account for approximately ________ of annual radiation exposure to a human.

Correct Answer
verified

If a nitrogen-14 nuclide captures an alpha particle, a proton is produced along with ________

Correct Answer
verified

Provide three examples of artificial radiation sources to which humans are exposed. Do these constitute the majority or minority of human radiation exposure?

Correct Answer
verified
Consumer products, X-ray radia...
View Answer

A half-life is ________

Correct Answer
verified

Light elements with Z  20 generally have a neutron/proton ratio about equal to ________

Correct Answer
verified

In 2002, a wooden beam from the Wupatki Indian ruin in Arizona was found to contain 235 mg of carbon-14. A sample of wood of the same mass cut sometime in 2002 contained 264 mg of carbon-14. When was the beam from Wupatki cut if the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,715 years?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
verified

Plutonium-238 is an  emitter and a compact heat source. Coupled with a PbTe thermoelectric device, it was once used as a very reliable electrical energy source for cardiac pacemakers. What is the product of the radioactive decay of plutonium-238?

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

The peak in nuclear binding energy/nucleon occurs for an isotope of ________

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 19: Nuclear Chemistry: Applications to Energy and Medicine

Which of the following units is used to quantify the biological effects of radiation?

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Radiation seed therapy is a common method for treating some prostate cancers and brain tumors. Iodine-125, with a half-life of 60 days, is one isotope used for this treatment. How long does it take for the activity of iodine-125 to decrease to 5.0% of its initial value?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope that was used as a fatal toxin in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, in 2006. What type of emission process is likely for this isotope?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Low-level nuclear waste from medical facilities generally requires only short-term storage before disposal because ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In the initial sequence of thorium-232 decay, an alpha particle is emitted followed by a beta particle. What is the product of these two decay steps?

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Nuclear fusion produces energy because ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Artificial sources account for approximately ________ of annual radiation exposure to a human.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If a nitrogen-14 nuclide captures an alpha particle, a proton is produced along with ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Provide three examples of artificial radiation sources to which humans are exposed. Do these constitute the majority or minority of human radiation exposure?

Correct AnswerverifiedConsumer products, X-ray radia...View AnswerShow Answer

A half-life is ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Light elements with Z  20 generally have a neutron/proton ratio about equal to ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In 2002, a wooden beam from the Wupatki Indian ruin in Arizona was found to contain 235 mg of carbon-14. A sample of wood of the same mass cut sometime in 2002 contained 264 mg of carbon-14. When was the beam from Wupatki cut if the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,715 years?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Plutonium-238 is an  emitter and a compact heat source. Coupled with a PbTe thermoelectric device, it was once used as a very reliable electrical energy source for cardiac pacemakers. What is the product of the radioactive decay of plutonium-238?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The peak in nuclear binding energy/nucleon occurs for an isotope of ________

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
verified
B

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
verified
A

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
verified
B

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
verified
Consumer products, X-ray radia...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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