CHAPTER 10 : RADIOACTIVE

2003
1

The diagram shows the path of radioactive rays, S and T.

Ray S

Ray T

Paper

Aluminium foil

Lead

Which of the following shows the type of ray S and ray T?

Ray S
A
B
C
D

Ray T

The table shows the half-lives of radioisotopes J, K, L and M.

Radioisotope

Half-life

8 days

56 days

5.27 years

6 hours

Which of the radioisotopes is most suitable as a tracer in the human body?

A
B
C
D

J
K
L
M

Cobalt-60 destroys cancer cells because it

A
B
C
D

has a long half-life

has no side effect
radiates gamma rays
decays spontaneously

2004
4

Which of the following pairs of atoms can act as an impurity to produce an n-type
semiconductor when doped into a pure semiconductor?
A
B
C
D

Boron and phosphorus

Arsenic and antimony
Indium and gallium
Antimony and gallium

The graph shows the decay curve of a radioactive material.

Activity/counts per minute

800

400

0
0

Time/minutes

15

If the initial of the radioactive material is 800 counts per minute, what is the activity after 1
hour?
A
B
C
D
E

400
200
100
50
25

The diagram shows a series of radioactive decays for the nucleus of uranium-238 to that of
radium-226.

Nucleon number (A)

238

U
Th

234

Th

230
226

Pa

Ra

222
87

88

89

90

91

92

Proton
number (Z)

What is the number of the alpha particles and beta particles emitted during this process?
The number of
alpha particles
2
3
4
1

A
B
C
D
7

The number of beta

particles
3
2
1
1

Which of the following has a similar characteristic to -particles?

A
B
C
D

Proton
Electron
Helium nucleus
Electromagnetic wave

2005
8

The following equation represents the decay of a uranium nucleus.

238
92

230
Th
90

What are the values of x and y?

A
B
C
D

X
0
1
1
2

y
1
1
2
2

e-10

4
He
2

What is the radioisotope that can be used to determine the age of a fossil?
A
B
C
D

Radon-222
Uranium-238
Carbon-14
Iodine-131

10 Which of the following statements is a characteristic of gamma radiation?

A
B
C
D

It has a positive charge

It is an electromagnetic wave
It has a higher ionizing power than alpha radiation
It has a lower penetrating power than beta radiation

2006
11 The diagram shows three types of radioactive rays, X, Y and Z, directed towards a sheet of
paper, a sheet of aluminium and a sheet of lead.

X
Y
Z

Paper

Aluminium

Lead

Which of the following rays are represented by X, Y and Z?

X
A
B
C
D

Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Gamma

Gamma
Alpha
Alpha
Beta

Beta
Gamma
Beta
Alpha

12 The initial mass of a radioactive element is 10 g and its half-life is 6 days.

Which of the following statements about the mass of the radioactive element is true?
A
B
C
D

6 days earlier, the mass is 20 g

12 days earlier, the mass is 80 g
6 days later, the mass is 2.5 g
12 days later, the mass is 5.0 g

13 Which statement is true about the use of radioactive substance?

A
B
C
D

To determine the sex of a foetus

To determine the contents in the baggage of the air plane passengers
To detect leakage in underground pipes
To identify counterfeit bank-notes

2007
14 A negatively charged particle moves towards a nucleus of an atom. Which of the following
diagrams shows the correct path of the particle?

15 Table 1 shows the half-life of four types of liquid isotopes which radiate particles.
Isotope
P
Q
R
S

Half-life
10 seconds
20 hours
5 months
10 years
Table 1

Which of the following isotopes is suitable to detect blood clotting?

A
B
C
D

P
Q
R
S

16 In the fission reaction for an atom of uranium-235, the energy produced is 2.9 x 10-11 J.
What is the total loss of mass in the reaction?
A
B
C
D

3.22 x 10-28 kg
9.67 x 10-20 kg
2.61 x 106 kg
1.03 x 1019 kg

2008
17 Diagram 30 shows the radioactive decay series of nucleus R to nucleus V.

How many alpha and beta particles are emitted in this process?
Number of alpha particles
2
1
2
1

A
B
C
D

Number of beta particles

1
2
2
1

18 The half-life of arsenic is 18 days. A sample contains certain amount of arsenic. After 72 days,
only 10 g of the arsenic still remains.
A
B
C
D
19

160 g
90 g
80 g
72 g

The following equation shows the nuclear fission of

235

92
235

U + 1n 141Ba + 92Kr + 3 1n + X

92

56

36

What is X?
A
B
C
D

-particle
-particle
Energy
-ray