Periodic Table Families
What family does sodium (Na) belong to? Use your periodic table.
Alkali metals
How does an atom become positively charged? Does it gain or lose electrons?
It loses electrons (so it has more protons than electrons)
In a Bohr model of hydrogen, how many electrons are shown?
1
Which waves have the longest wavelength and lowest energy?
Radio waves
What is radioactivity?
The spontaneous breaking apart (decay) of unstable atomic nuclei.
What family does calcium (Ca) belong to? Use your periodic table.
Alkaline earth metals
If an atom gains one electron, will its charge be positive or negative?
Negative (it becomes a negative ion)
In a Bohr model of lithium (Li), how many electron shells (rings) are filled?
2
Which color of visible light has the lowest energy: red or violet?
Red (it has the lowest energy)
What do we call splitting a heavy nucleus into two smaller ones, releasing energy?
Nuclear fission
What family does fluorine (F) belong to? Use your periodic table.
Halogens
When an atom loses one electron, does it become positive or negative?
Positive (it loses a negative electron)
What do we call the center of an atom that contains the protons and neutrons?
The nucleus
These waves make popcorn pop in your microwave oven. What are they?
Microwaves
Which type of decay releases a helium nucleus containing 2 protons and 2 neutrons?
Alpha decay
Elements like iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) are in which family? Use your periodic table.
Transition metals
Which isotope of carbon has more neutrons: carbon-12 or carbon-14?
Carbon-14 (it has 2 more neutrons than carbon-12)
Which part of an atom has a negative charge: protons, neutrons, or electrons?
Electrons
Which type of electromagnetic radiation causes sunburn?
Ultraviolet light (UV)
Define half-life in one sentence.
The time it takes for half of a sample of radioactive atoms to decay.
Is silicon (Si) a metal, nonmetal, or metalloid?
Metalloid
An atom has 8 protons and 10 electrons. What is its charge?
-2 (It has gained 2 extra electrons)
What does the top number (the bigger number) represent in an isotope symbol like 14C?
The mass number (total protons + neutrons)
Doctors use these waves to see inside your bones. What are they?
X-rays
Which process happens in the Sun: fission or fusion?
Fusion