Radioactivity basics
What is the spontaneous release of particles or energy from an atom's nucleus?
What is radioactivity?
An alpha particle consists of this many protons and neutrons.
What is 2 protons and 2 neutrons (or a helium nucleus)?
Half-life is defined as the time it takes for this fraction of radioactive atoms to decay.
What is one-half (or 50%)?
This process uses Carbon-14 measurements to determine the age of fossils and archaeological artifacts.
What is radiometric dating (or radiocarbon dating)?
This scientist discovered and named radioactivity, and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903.
Who is Marie Curie?
During beta decay, a neutron transforms into a proton and this negatively charged particle.
What is an electron?
If a substance has a half-life of 10 years and you start with 160 grams, after 10 years you will have this many grams left.
What is 80 grams?
In a PET scan, this radioactive isotope is attached to glucose molecules to detect diseased cells.
What is Fluorine-18?
In large atoms with many protons, this force becomes too weak to hold the nucleus together, causing instability.
What is the strong nuclear force?
This type of radiation is high-frequency electromagnetic waves that can only be shielded by lead or concrete
What is gamma radiation?
Starting with 1,000 atoms, after three half-lives, this many atoms will remain.
What is 125 atoms?
This isotope was released at Fukushima and concentrates in the thyroid gland, causing damage especially in children.
What is Iodine-131?
This universal symbol with three curved triangles warns people about radioactive substances
What is the trefoil (or radioactive symbol)?
This is the change in atomic number when a nucleus undergoes beta decay.
What is an increase of 1?
Carbon-14 has a half-life of approximately this many years and is used for radiocarbon dating.
What is 5,700 years (accept 5,730 or 6,000)?
This medical treatment uses gamma rays to treat brain tumors without invasive surgery.
What is Gamma Knife radiosurgery?
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are called this.
What are isotopes?
his type of radiation can be stopped by a piece of paper.
What is alpha radiation?
If 12.5% of the original radioactive atoms remain in a sample with a half-life of 47 years, the material is this many years old.
What is 141 years (or 3 half-lives × 47 years)?
This isotope was detected in soil near Fukushima on March 15 and poses a serious inhalation risk to workers
What is Plutonium-239?