Half-Life
This is the amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to decay.
What is half-life?
This particle consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
What is an alpha particle?
This process is used in nuclear power plants to produce energy.
What is nuclear fission?
This process splits a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei.
What is nuclear fission?
This type of change alters the appearance or state of a substance but does not create a new substance.
What is a physical change?
If a sample starts with 80 g and one half-life passes, this amount remains.
What is 40 g?
Rank alpha, beta, and gamma radiation from least to most penetrating.
What is alpha → beta → gamma?
This fluid is heated by nuclear reactions to produce steam that spins a turbine.
What is water?
This process combines two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus.
What is nuclear fusion?
Saltwater is an example of this type of mixture.
What is a homogeneous mixture?
A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 10 years. Starting with 200 g, this amount remains after 30 years.
What is 25 g?
This type of radiation has no mass or charge and is the most penetrating.
What is gamma radiation?
Uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactions. Uranium has several forms due to differences in neutron number. These different forms are called what?
What are isotopes?
When a neutron strikes a uranium nucleus, the nucleus splits, releasing energy and additional neutrons.
What is a chain reaction?
A burning wax candle is an example of this type of change.
What is a physical change?
A sample contains 320 atoms. After four half-lives, this many atoms remain.
What is 20 atoms?
Carbon-14 becomes Nitrogen-14 through this type of decay.
What is beta decay?
This changed the world by creating the first atomic bombs during World War II.
Manhattan Project
This is the spontaneous change of an unstable nucleus into a more stable one.
What is radioactive (nuclear) decay?
A scientist is given an unknown sample. The sample has a uniform appearance, cannot be separated by filtration, and has a boiling point that remains constant. After heating, it produces a gas that is a different substance from the original sample. This sample would be considered.
What is a pure substance (compound)?
A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 18 years. A geologist discovers that 6.25% of the original parent isotope remains in a rock. Determine how many half-lives have passed and the age of the rock.
What are 4 half-lives and 72 years?
A Radium-226 (atomic number 88) nucleus undergoes one alpha decay followed by two beta decays. Identify the final daughter isotope.
What is Actinium-222 (Ac-222)?
The element normally used for nuclear energy.
Uranium-235
A major challenge scientists face with using fusion for electricity production.
Fusion requires extremely high temperatures and pressure to overcome repulsion between nuclei, making it difficult to control and use for power generation.
Classify each example as a pure substance, homogeneous mixture, or heterogeneous mixture: copper wire, air in a classroom, chocolate chip cookie, and distilled water
What is:Copper wire = pure substance (element)
Air = homogeneous mixture
Chocolate chip cookie = heterogeneous mixture
Distilled water = pure substance (compound)