Chemistry I: 3-4 Practice and Review
Name________________________________
Changes in the Nucleus
Period_______Date_____________________
1. Nuclear reactions change the composition of an atom’s _____________________.
2. The attractive force that overcomes the electric repulsion between protons is the ______________
_________________ force.
3. Almost all the atoms you encounter have _________________ nuclei.
4. All nuclei with atomic numbers greater than 83 are __________________________.
5. Alpha, beta and gamma radiation are distinguished by their charge, _________________, and
penetrating power.
6. When an atom emits alpha, beta or gamma radiation, it is undergoing _________________ decay.
Answer each of the following in the space provided:
7. Why is carbon dating not useful for artifacts made entirely of metal?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. Compare the penetrating power of alpha, beta and gamma radiation:
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
9. Why do nuclei need neutrons to be stable? ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. List 2 types of nuclear reactions other than radioactive decay: ____________________________
11. In any radioactive decay, the sum of the mass numbers and atomic numbers must be ___________
before and after the reaction.
a) greater
b) the same
c) less
d) unpredictable
12. The most dangerous form of radiation to the human body is
a) beta radiation
b) gamma radiation
c) alpha radiation
d) They are equally dangerous
13. To be stable, atoms with more than 20 protons need increasingly more
a) neutrons than protons
b) electrons than protons
c) electrons than neutrons
d) protons than neutrons
14. The sun produces energy by means of
a) gamma radiation
b) beta decay
c) alpha decay
d) nuclear fusion
15. 226
88 Ra
16.
14
6C
27 Al
17. __

222
86 Rn

14
7N
+
4
__ He
+ ______
+ ______

12 C
6
+ ______
Write a nuclear equation for the following reactions:
18. alpha decay of polonium-210 _______________________________________________________
19. beta decay of tritium ( 31H ) _________________________________________________________
20. alpha decay of thorium-230 ________________________________________________________
21. alpha decay of
231
91 Pa
_____________________________________________________________
22. What particle bombards Beryllium-9 if it forms carbon-12 and neutrons? Write the equation:
______________________________________________________________________________
23. beta decay of
165
61 Pm _____________________________________________________________
24. What isotope is bombarded with alpha particles to produce oxygen-17 and hydrogen-1? Write the
equation:
______________________________________________________________________________
25. alpha decay of
146
62 Sm ____________________________________________________________
26. beta decay of 198
85 At _____________________________________________________________
27. Write the equation of the bombardment of boron-10 with neutrons to produce Li-7 and another particle.
______________________________________________________________________________
28. beta decay of
152
54 Xe _____________________________________________________________