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Exercises on Radioactivity: 1.

(a) Complete the table emission Alpha particles Beta particles Gamma particles Nature Mass number Proton number

(b) The radioactive source S emits 3 different types of radiation in a strong magnetic field directed out the paper. Draw and label their path. (c) Radon 220 86 Rn decays into polonium (Po) by emission of an alpha particle. Write a nuclear equation to represent the decay. source

magnetic field out of paper

(d) is an isotope of uranium. What information does the symbol isotope?

give us about the

2) (a) The count rate of a radioactive material falls from 200 counts per second to 25 counts per second in 75 minutes. What is its half-life? (b) A radioactive source has a half-life of 20 min. At a certain time, a detector records its activity as 96 counts per second. What is its activity one hour later? (c) The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 120 years. How long does it take for of the atoms in the sample of the isotope to decay? (d) The half life a radioactive element is such that of a quantity of it decays in 12 days. What fraction of it remains undecayed after 24 days? (e) A radioactive sample has a half life of 24 days. How long does it take for 90 % of the sample to decay? (f) A radioactive material has a half life of 40 min. The count rate near the material is initially 1053 counts/min. The average background count is 29 counts/min. (i) What will be the count rate 2 hours later? State any assumption you made, (ii) Estimate the time after which it is impossible to measure the count rate of the radioactive material.

3. A radioactive source is placed 2 cm in front of a Geiger-Muller tube which is connected to a counter. Different absorbers are placed between the tube and the radioactive source. The results are as follows:

Absorber Average counts per second

No absorber 33

Thin card 20

Aluminium foil 3

Which types of radiation does the source emit? 4) To monitor the blood flow through a patients heart, a doctor injects a radioisotope into her bloodstream. The radiation emitted by the radioisotope is then detected outside the body. The radioisotope used is Technetium-99, a gamma emitter with a half-life of a few days. Give three reasons why Technetium-99 is used. 5) The isotope americium 241 is used in smoke alarms. Americium 241 emits alpha particles and has a half-life of 432 years. (a) What are isotopes? (b) What is meant by half-life? (c) Use the information given to explain why americium 241 is suitable for use in a smoke alarm. (d) Smoke detectors are fitted inside houses. Explain why radiation given out by the americium 241 is unlikely to do any harm to the people in the house. 6) Students carrying out experiments with radioactive sources should take precautions to protect them against dangers of radiation. (a) What are the common dangers? (b) State two of the precautions. Explain why each precaution is effective.

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