Physics

Relative to a fossil fuel plant, a nuclear power plant produces

ALL OF THESE: - less heat and smoke - more electricity - less polution

A quark is a fundamental particle

ALL OF THESE: - much smaller than a nucleon - not composed of smaller parts - that makes up a nucleon

The disadvantages to fission power plants include

ALL OF THESE: - risk of accidental release of radioactivity -production of plutonium for possible weapons proliferation - radioactive waste disposal

The energy output of a typical nuclear reactor is via

ALL OF THESE: - spinning a turbine to generate electricity - directing steam to a turbine - heating water to form steam

By scattering Alpha particles from gold, Rutherford showed the atomic nucleus to be very

BOTH OF THESE - small relative to the atom - massive relative to the mass of an electron

Control is maintained in a nuclear reactor by control rods that

absorb excess neutrons

Radium (atomic number = 88) transmutes to radon (atomic number = 86) by

alpha emission

Which experiences the greatest electrical force in an electric field?

alpha particle

A nuclear power plant is very similar to

any conventional power plant, but with uranium as fuel

Nuclear stability is related to the balance between

attracting and repelling forces in the nucleus

Energy released by the Sun results from the process wherein atomic nuclei

combine

Carbon 14 is produced in the atmosphere principally by

cosmic ray bombardment

Discrete radii and energy states of atoms were first explained by electrons circling the atom in an integral number of

de Broglie wavelengths

When the nucleus of an atom emits an alpha particle, the atom's atomic number

decreases by 2

In the fissioning of uranium, a chain reaction is caused by

ejected neutrons

Nuclear reactors that produce consumer power in present times are powered by

fission

What does a breeder reactor "breed"?

fissionable isotopes from a non fissionable isotopes

The nuclear process having by products with least radioactivity is

fusion

Which will NOT bend when moving in a magnetic field?

gamma ray

Plutonium is extremely rare in natural ore deposits because it

has a short half life compared with the age of Earth

The balance between electrical and nuclear strong forces is more tenuous in

heavier elements

When the nucleus of an atom emits a beta particle, the atom's atomic number

increases by 1

Generally speaking, the larger a nucleus is, the greater its

instability

The nucleus that has the least mass per nucleon is

iron

Compared with the sum of isolated nucleon masses, their collective mass in a composite nucleus is

less

Compared with the mass of a uranium nucleus before splitting, the split fragment have

less mass

Compared with the energy produced by fissioning a gram of uranium, the energy produced by fusing a gram of deuterium is

more

A chain reaction progresses when the average number of liberated neutrons that cause further fissions is

one or more

For an isotope with a half life of one day, at the end of two days the amount that remains is

one quarter

Alpha particles and beta particles are deflected by a magnetic field in

opposite directions

The radiation source closest to us originates in

our own bodies

Earth's interior is warmed by ____ and Earth's surface is warmed by ____.

radioactive process fusion in the sun

The high temperature of Earth's interior is mainly due to

radioactive processes

An excited atom decays to its ground state and emits a photon of green light. If instead the decay is to an intermediate state, then the light emitted could be

red

When the nucleus of an atom emits only a gamma ray, the atom's atomic number

remains unchanged

Which is the strongest fundamental force?

strong nuclear force

The Schrodinger equation is most useful for describing

submicroscopic particles

The kinetic energy of fission fragments in a nuclear reactor

superheats water and produced steam

The term critical mass refers to the least amount of mass that can

sustain a chain reaction

Sustained energy output by fusion is a daily occurrence in

the Sun

Most of the radioactivity we personally encounter originates from

the natural environment

When an electron drops from a higher energy level to a lower one, energy is emitted. In comparison, how much energy is required to reverse the process, going from the lower level to the higher level?

the same energy

Gamma rays are emitted by way of

transitions within the atomic nucleus

The discreteness of orbits of electrons in an atom are due to

wave interference

When two light atoms fuse together, mass

- converts to kinetic energy - converts to high energy gamma radiation

The half life of carbon 14 is 5,730 years. If a 1 gram sample of old carbon is 1/8 as radioactive as 1 gram of a current sample, then the age of the old sample is about

17,200 years

A certain radioactive isotope placed near a Geiger counter registers 160 counts per minute. Eight hours later, the counter registers 10 counts per minute. What is the half life of the isotope?

2 hours