Content Benchmark P.12.A.8
Students know most elements have two or more isotopes, some of which have practical
applications.
1st Item Specification: Know that isotopes of an element have different numbers of
neutrons and the same number of protons.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Nuclear changes in an atom occur only in the
A. space around the atom.
B. space between the electron and the nucleus.
C. electron orbitals.
D. nucleus.
2. The nucleus of an atom consists of protons and neutrons. In an isotope the numbers of
A. protons vary.
B. neutrons vary.
C. electrons vary.
D. quarks vary.
3. Which of the following subatomic particles is also known as the fingerprint of an atom?
A. Electrons
B. Protons
C. Neutrons
D. Nucleons
4. Different isotopes of a particular element contain the same number of
A. neutrons.
B. electrons.
C. protons.
D. nucleons.
5. The difference between carbon-12 and carbon-14 is the numbers of
A. neutrons.
B. nucleons.
C. electrons.
D. protons.
6. Carbon-12 and carbon-14 have
A. different numbers of protons.
B. the same number of protons.
C. different numbers of electrons.
D. the same number of neutrons.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
7. A student is reading about uranium isotopes and doesn’t understand how they can be the
same element. Your best answer is
A. isotopes are not the same but are in the same family as the main element.
B. uranium is unique and does not follow the definition of an isotope.
C. isotopes all have the same number of protons which makes them the same element.
D. the electrons do not change in isotopes even when forming positive or negative ions.
8. Atoms of a certain isotope have 73 neutrons and a mass number of 123. What is its atomic
number?
A. 73
B. 123
C. 196
D. 50
9. If an isotope has 7 protons and a mass number of 15, how many neutrons does it have?
A. 8
B. 22
C. 15
D. 7
10. The atomic number of an isotope is 17. If it has a mass number of 35, then how many
neutrons does it have?
A. 17
B. 18
C. 35
D. 52
11. Which of the following are isotopes of each other?
(I) An atom with 17 protons and 18 neutrons?
(II) An atom with atomic number 16 and atomic mass 32?
(III) An atom with atomic number 16 and 18 neutrons?
(IV) An atom with 17 protons and 20 neutrons?
A.
B.
C.
D.
I and II
III and IV
II and III
I and IV
2nd Item Specification: Describe practical applications of isotopes of various elements (e.g.,
hydrogen, deuterium and tritium), carbon-14, uranium-235 and colbalt-60).
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
12. One practical applications of radioactivity includes
A. treating and diagnosing medical conditions.
B. measuring air speed.
C. health food additive.
D. creating and modifying foods.
13. Which of the following is a practical application of radioactivity?
A. Generating energy
B. Measuring rainfall
C. Recycling plastic
D. Recording traffic
14. Natural radioactivity occurs because atoms
A. have unstable nuclei.
B. gain protons.
C. lose electrons.
D. gain nucleons.
15. Cobalt-60 is an isotope
A. used in paint pigments.
B. used to irradiate food.
C. used to manufacture television sets.
D. found in microwave ovens.
16. Heavy water is used as a coolant in nuclear power reactors. Which of the following is the
isotope in heavy water?
A. Cobalt-60
B. Uranium-238
C. Nitrogen-14
D. Hydrogen-2
17. Modern medicine employs a device known as a positron emission tomography (PET) that
can detect the smallest of tumors. Which of the following isotopes is used in the PET scan?
A. Rubidium-82
B. Iodine-131
C. Hydrogen-3
D. Cobalt-60
18. Which method would be MOST practical for shipping highly sensitive materials around the
world?
A. Use embedded radioactive isotopic tracers.
B. Use armed guards to protect the materials.
C. Transport using specialized aircraft.
D. Use specialized cameras, heat sensing devices and guard dogs.
19. Which of the following methods measures carbon-14 to accurately determine the age of
ancient artifacts?
A. X-ray crystallography
B. Radiowave analysis
C. Sonar analysis
D. Accelerator mass spectrometry
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
20. One characteristic of technectium-99 (an isotope of the element technectium) that makes it
useful as a radiopharmaceutical is it
A. lingers in the environment and can be reused.
B. emits toxic gamma radiation which is harmful to others.
C. has a short half-life minimizing the radiation dose for the patient.
D. has to be contained for thousands of years in a nuclear repository.
21. Only processed uranium is used in nuclear reactors in the United States because
A. it is a cheaper way of accessing usable uranium.
B. uranium contains several isotopes only one which is fissionable.
C. uranium-238 is more abundant than the other isotopes.
D. uranium can be recycled at specialized facilities.
22. Now that super microbes are so prevalent, the most effective way to sterilize medical and
surgical equipment is to
A. wash with soap and water.
B. use antibacterial products.
C. irradiate with cobalt-60.
D. use bleach in the rinse water.
23. In medicine, why is it often important to be able to use radioisotopes which are short-lived?
A. They are cheaper and easier to manage.
B. The isotopes pass through the body quicker.
C. They linger causing cancer.
D. The isotopes are detected by radiotransmitters.
24. What arguments support food irradiation by gamma rays?
A. Isotopes can linger in the food causing cancer.
B. Food products change their flavor.
C. Gamma rays cannot be contained by human built containers.
D. Harmful bacteria are killed preventing deaths by food poisoning.
25. One societal implication of using radioisotopes in many everyday applications is
A. short-lived isotopes are not useful.
B. food supplies last longer.
C. disposal of associated wastes.
D. medical equipment decays faster.
3rd Item Specification: Know the meanings of subscripts and superscripts in a nuclear
symbol.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
26. The mass number of an isotope represents the
A. total number of electrons and protons.
B. number of neutrons.
C. number of neutrons minus protons.
D. total number of protons and neutrons.
27. The mass number of an isotope is also known as the
A. “Z” number.
B. electron number.
C. “A” number.
D. neutron number.
28. Examine the figure below.
The bottom number represents the number of
A. nucleons.
B. protons.
C. neutrons.
D. antiparticles.
29. Examine the figure below.
The top number represents
A. nucleons.
B. protons.
C. neutrons.
D. antiparticles.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
30. Examine the figure below.
Which of the following is correct? Lithium has
A. 4 protons, 7 neutrons and 3 electrons.
B. 7 neutrons, 3 protons and 4 electrons.
C. 10 nucleons, 3 electrons and 7 protons.
D. 3 protons, 4 neutrons and 3 electrons.
31. Examine the figure below.
Which of the following is correct? Lithium has
A. 7 nucleons.
B. 3 neutrons.
C. 4 protons.
D. 4 electrons.
32. Examine the figure below.
Which of the following is correct? Lithium has
A. 7 protons and electrons.
B. 4 neutrons and 3 protons.
C. 3 neutrons and 3 electrons.
D. 7 protons and 4 nucleons.
Content Benchmark P.12.A.8
Students know most elements have two or more isotopes, some of which have practical
applications.
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. D, DOK Level 1
2. B, DOK Level 1
3. B, DOK Level 1
4. A, DOK Level 1
5. A, DOK Level 1
6. B, DOK Level 1
7. C, DOK Level 2
8. D, DOK Level 2
9. A, DOK Level 2
10. B, DOK Level 2
11. D, DOK Level 2
12. A, DOK Level 1
13. A, DOK Level 1
14. A, DOK Level 1
15. B, DOK Level 1
16. D, DOK Level 1
17. A, DOK Level 1
18. A, DOK Level 1
19. D, DOK Level 1
20. C, DOK Level 2
21. B, DOK Level 2
22. C, DOK Level 2
23. B, DOK Level 2
24. D, DOK Level 2
25. C, DOK Level 2
26. D, DOK Level 1
27. C, DOK Level 1
28. B, DOK Level 1
29. A, DOK Level 1
30. D, DOK Level 2
31. A, DOK Level 2
32. B, DOK Level 2