AP Chemistry Review Questions

If an atom of polonium (atomic number 84) undergoes a conversion to lead (atomic number 82) by the loss of a single particle,
1. the particle lost was a positron
2. the particle lost was an alpha particle
3. the particle lost was a gamma ray
4. the particle lost was a beta particle
5. the particle lost could have been an alpha particle or a beta particle
Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable isotopes of the element. Which of the following isotopes of carbon is likely to undergo positron emission?
1. carbon-11
2. carbon-12
3. carbon-13
4. carbon-14
5. carbon-15
In the equation shown here, the missing particle is:
1. The equation shows an example of beta particle decay
2. The equation shows an example of positron emission
3. The equation shows an example of alpha particle emission
4. The equation shows an example of electron capture
5. The equation shows an example of gamma ray emission
Bones found in the Lascaux Caves in France have a carbon-14 disintegration rate of 2.25 disintegrations per minute per gram of carbon. If the rate of decay rate of carbon-14 at the time of death is 13.6 counts per minute per gram of carbon, calculate the age of the remnants. The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years.
1. 7.5 x 10⁴ years
2. 1.91 x 10² years
3. 8.2 x 10⁶ years
4. 1.5 x 10⁴ years
5. 2.3 x 10³ years
After polonium-214 undergoes an alpha decay and two beta decays, the particle produced is:
1. lead-206
2. polonium-210
3. radon-222
4. bismuth-214
5. lead-214
Phosphorus-15 has a half-life of 14 days. What proportion of the original phosphorus-15 remains after 8 weeks?
1. 1/2
2. 1/4
3. 1/8
4. 1/16
5. 1/32
The decay rate constant for a newly discovered element, tentatively named "Allanium", is 2.4 x 10^-2 s^-1. What is the half-life of the new element.
1. 29 s
2. 0.017 s
3. 0.035
4. 1.2 years
5. 7.2 s
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. If a sample of wood is found to have only 13.2% of its original carbon-14 remaining, how old is the piece of wood?
1. 2.13 x 10⁴ years
2. 4.35 x 10⁵ years
3. 7.11 x 10⁴ years
4. 1.67 x 10⁴ years
5. 9.00 x 10^-3 years
The number of radioactive nuclides in a sample decays from 9.34 x 10²³ to 5.42 x 10²³ in 28 minutes. What is the half-life of the nuclide?
1. 35.7 minutes
2. 23.1 minutes
3. 30.1 minutes
4. 2.45 x 10³ minutes
5. 24.4 minutes^-1
One fission process of uranium-235 is:

What is the missing particle?
Electron capture would transform carbon-12 into what nuclide?
1. boron-13
2. boron-12
3. carbon-13
4. nitrogen-13
5. carbon-11
The nuclide radium-226 is the daughter nuclide resulting from the a decay of what parent nuclide?
1. radon-222
2. thorium-228
3. thorium-230
4. polonium-214
5. radium-225
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²³⁹₉₂U + ⁴₂He → _____ + ¹₀n
1. ²⁴¹₉₄Pu
2. ²⁴³₉₄Pu
3. ²⁴³₉₂U
4. ²⁴¹₉₂U
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²⁷₁₃Al + ⁴₂He → ³⁰₁₅P + _____
1. ¹₀n
2. ¹₁H
3. ⁶¹₃₀Zn
4. ⁷₄Be
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²⁴¹₉₅Am + ⁴₂He → 2¹₀n + _____
1. ²⁴³₉₇Bk
2. ²³⁶₉₇Bk
3. ²⁴³₉₃Np
4. ²⁴⁴₉₃Np
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²¹⁴₈₄Po + 2⁴₂He + 2⁰_-1e → _____
1. ²²²₈₆Rn
2. ²¹⁸₈₈Ra
3. ²²²₈₄Po
4. ²¹⁸₈₆Rn
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²⁷₁₃Al + _____ → ²⁴₁₁Na + ⁴₂He
1. ¹₀n
2. ¹₀H
3. ⁰_-1e
4. ²⁸₁₃Al
Identify the missing coefficient in the following nuclear reaction:

²³⁵₉₂U + ¹₀n → ____¹₀n + ¹³⁹₅₆Ba + ⁹⁴₃₆Kr
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

³⁷₁₉K → _____ + ⁰₊₁e
1. ³⁷₁₈Ar
2. ³⁷₂₀Ca
3. ³⁸₁₈Ar
4. ³⁶₁₈Ar
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

¹₁H + ³₁H → _____
1. ⁴₂He
2. ²₀n
3. ⁴₂Be
4. ³₁H
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

⁹₄Be + ¹₁H → _____ + ⁴₂He
1. ⁶₃Li
2. ¹⁴₇N
3. ⁵₂He
4. ⁴₁H
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

_____ → ⁴₂He + ²⁰⁸₈₁Tl
1. ²¹²₈₃Bi
2. ²⁰⁴₇₉Au
3. ²⁰⁴₈₃Bi
4. ²¹²₇₉Au
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²³⁹₉₄Pu → ⁴₂He + _____
1. ²³⁵₉₂U
2. ²⁴³₉₆Cm
3. ²³⁵₉₆Cm
4. ²⁴³₉₂U
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

______ + ¹₀n → ¹⁴²₅₆Ba +⁹¹₃₆Kr + 3¹₀n
1. ²³⁵₉₂U
2. ²³⁷₉₅Am
3. ²³³₉₂U
4. ²³⁷₉₂U
Identify the missing coefficient in the following nuclear reaction:

²³⁵₉₂U + ¹₀n → ____¹₀n + ¹³⁹₅₃I + ⁹⁵₃₉Y
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

⁶₃Li + ¹₀n → ⁰_-1e + ⁴₂He + _____
1. ³₂He
2. ²₁H
3. ¹¹₄Be
4. ¹¹₅B
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

⁴²₁₉K → ⁰_-1e + _____
1. ⁴²₂₀Ca
2. ⁴²₁₈Ar
3. ⁴¹₁₉K
4. ⁴¹₂₀Ca
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

²²⁶₈₈Ra → ⁴₂He + _____
1. ²²²₈₆Rn
2. ²³⁰₉₀Th
3. ²²²₉₀Th
4. ²³⁰₈₆Rn
Identify the missing particle in the following nuclear reaction:

⁹⁹₄₃Tc → _____ + ⁰_-1e
1. ⁹⁹₄₄Ru
2. ⁹⁹₄₃Tc
3. ⁹⁹₄₂Mo
4. ⁹⁹₄₃Es
A process in which a very heavy nucleus splits into more-stable nuclei of intermediate mass is called:
1. nuclear fusion
2. nuclear fission
3. radioactive decay
4. a chain reaction
5. radiocarbon dating
Which of the following statements is true?
1. All man-made isotopes are radioactive
2. Some man-made isotopes are radioactive
3. None of the man-made isotopes are radioactive
Which of the following statements is true?
1. All naturally occurring isotopes are radioactive
2. Some naturally occurring isotopes are radioactive
3. No naturally occurring isotopes are radioactive
An electron emitted from the nucleus during some kinds of radioactive decay is known as:
1. An alpha (a) particle
2. A beta (b) particle
3. A positron
4. A gamma ray
An alpha (a) particle is essentially a ____________________ nucleus.
1. hydrogen
2. uranium
3. carbon-12
4. helium
5. plutonium
Gamma (g) rays are:
1. are very high energy, very short wavelength electromagnetic radiation
2. are very high energy, very long wavelength electromagnetic radiation
3. are very low energy, very short wavelength electromagnetic radiation
4. are very low energy, very long wavelength electromagnetic radiation
Very large nuclei tend to be unstable because of the:
1. repulsive forces between electrons
2. attraction of electrons for the positively charged nucleus
3. repulsive forces between neutrons
4. repulsive forces between protons
5. attraction of protons for neutrons
For the most common types of radioactive decay, the order of mass from lightest to heaviest is:
1. gamma, alpha, beta
2. beta, alpha, gamma
3. beta, gamma, alpha
4. gamma, beta, alpha
For the most common types of radioactive decay, the order of least penetrating to human tissue, to most penetrating to human tissue is:
1. gamma, alpha, beta
2. alpha, beta, gamma
3. beta, gamma, alpha
4. gamma, beta, alpha
For the most common types of radioactive decay, the order of least dangerous to most dangerous is:
1. gamma, alpha, beta
2. alpha, beta, gamma
3. beta, gamma, alpha
4. gamma, beta, alpha
Assuming that the radiation source above emits gamma rays, as the rays pass between the charged plates they will:
1. pass straight through
2. be deflected downward
3. be deflected upward
Assuming that the radiation source above emits alpha particles, as the particles pass between the charged plates they will:
1. pass straight through
2. be deflected downward
3. be deflected upward
Assuming that the radiation source above emits beta particles, as the particles pass between the charged plates they will:
1. pass straight through
2. be deflected downward
3. be deflected upward
In nuclear reactions:
1. small amount of mass are converted to large amounts of mass
2. large amount of energy are converted to small amount of mass
3. small amounts of mass are converted to large amount of energy
4. mass and energy are destroyed
Compared to chemical reactions, nuclear reactions produce:
1. proportionally far less energy
2. proportionally far more energy
3. fewer changes in the nucleus
4. more vegetables

AP Chemistry Review Questions - The Nucleus