Module 5

Radiation around Us

What this module is about

Did you know that an effective way of

treating cancer nowadays is with the use of
radiation? Radiation therapy is now being
practiced by some hospitals in Metro Manila like
St. Luke’s Medical Center, Makati Medical
Center and Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
The process is very well expressed as
radioactivity – the transformation of an atom.

In this module you will learn many things

about Physics, particularly about radiation. This module includes four (4) lessons
such as:

 Lesson 1 - Brief Account of Radioactivity

 Lesson 2 - Radioactivity
 Lesson 3 - Nuclear Reactions: A Menace?
 Lesson 4 - Applications of Radioactivity and their Implications

Read, enjoy, and discover the secrets of Physics!

What you are expected to learn

After going through the module, you are expected to:

1. discuss the contributions of Becquerel, Pierre and Marie Curie on

radioactivity;
2. discuss and compare the types and properties of ionizing radiation;
3. interpret equations on nuclear reactions;
4. explain Einstein’s matter-energy equivalence; and
5. recognize the significance of the contributions of scientists in nuclear
energy and related technology.
 How to learn from this module

Here’s a simple guide for you in going about the module.

1. Read and follow the instructions very carefully.

2. Take the pretest. It is a simple multiple-choice test provided at the start
to determine how much you know about the content of this module.
3. Check your answers against the answer key provided at the last page
of the module.
4. Be very honest in taking the test so you know how much knowledge
you already have about the topic.
5. Read the different lessons about the earth, sun and moon.
6. Perform all the activities, as these will help you have a better
understanding of the topic.
7. Take the self-tests at the end of each lesson for you to determine how
much you remember about the lesson.
8. Finally, take the post test at the end of this module.

Good Luck and have fun!

What to do before (Pretest)

Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. What is the process by which elements change to other elements by the

emission of ionizing particles?
a. Radioactivity
b. Chemical Change
c. Physical Change
d. None of these

2. Who is the polish chemist who received 2 Nobel prizes-one in physics and
another in chemistry for his/her success in the field of radioactivity?
a. Marie Curie
b. William Roentgen
c. Ernest Rutherford
d. Henry Becquerel

2
3. Which of the following is INCORRECT?
a. Atoms are made of subatomic particles called electrons, protons
and neutrons.
b. The electrons are distributed in space like a cloud around the
nucleus.
c. The nucleus of the atom consists of protons and neutrons.
d. The electrons are found inside the nucleus of the atom.

4. What do you call the force that holds the nucleus together?
a. nucleonic force
b. gravitational force
c. strong nuclear force
d. electromagnetic force

5. Helium is 4x as massive as hydrogen. Compared to the size of hydrogen,

helium is ___________.
a. smaller
b. of the same size
c. twice as large
d. four times as large

6. Which among the ionizing radiation can penetrate the farthest into a
material?
a. a beta particle
b. a gamma ray
c. an alpha particle
d. All have the same penetrating capability.

7. The reason alpha rays are easy to stop is that they _____________.
a. are relatively big
b. slow down easily
c. are doubly changed
d. All of the above.

8. Large nuclei, like uranium, are radioactive because ____________.

a. they have too much mass
b. there are too many protons
c. there are too many isolated neutrons
d. they can hold extra particles, like beta rays

9. When Uranium (90 protons) ejects an alpha particle, how many protons
does the remaining nucleus have?
a. 92 protons
b. 90 protons
c. 88 protons
d. 86 protons

3
4
10. What happens to the atomic number of an element which emits 1 alpha
particle and 3 beta particles?
a. increases by 1
b. stays the same
c. decreases by 2
d. decreases by 1

11. What happens to the atomic number of an element which emits 1 alpha
particle and 2 beta particles?
a. increases by 1
b. stays the same
c. decreases by 2
d. decreases by 1

12. A sample of a certain radioactive material has a half-life of 1 year. How

much of this radioactive material will be left at the end of 3 years?
a. one sixteenth
b. one eighth
c. one quarter
d. one half

13. The half-life of most radioactive isotopes is about _________.

a. 5700 years
b. a few years
c. a few seconds
d. half lives range from very short to very long

14. The half life of a certain isotope is 1 day. At the end of 2 days, how much
of the isotope remains?
a. one half
b. one quarter
c. one eighth
d. none of it

15. Energy released by the sun results from atomic nuclei __________
a. combining
b. breaking apart
c. None of the above
d. Needs more information to say

16. Splitting helium would yield ___________.

a. a net release of energy
b. a net absorption of energy
c. neither absorption nor release
d. Not enough information to say

5
17. Which shape uses the smallest amount of material when creating a critical
mass?
a. cube
b. cone
c. sphere
d. elongated box

18. If gold were used as nuclear fuel, it would be best ____________.

a. fused
b. split
c. either
d. neither

19. Suppose hydrogen bombs were exploded in a box that could contain all
the energy released by the explosion, the weight of the box after the
explosion would be __________.
a. less
b. more
c. the same
d. none of the above

20. What technique is used by archeologist to determine the age of wooden

artifacts?
a. Carbon dating
b. Radium dating
c. Uranium dating
d. Polonium dating

Key to answers on page 27

6
Lesson 1 A Brief Account of Radioactivity

Read this!

Do you still remember the word ‘atom’? Atom

is the smallest particle of matter. Its era began
during Becquerel’s time. Becquerel’s discovery of
radioactivity marked the beginning of the modern
understanding of the atom.
Henri Pierre Marie
Antoine Henri Becquerel was a physicist and Becquere Curie Curie
l
an expert in the field of fluorescence. While studying
a fluorescent compound that included an element Fig. 1.1 Scientists who discovered
called uranium; he noticed that the material was radiation
giving out a type of a ray that passes through foil
which he used to wrap the material. He later discovered that this event only
happens to uranium compound and not with others. Further experiments showed
that there were 2 distinct types of radiation: the alpha and beta radiation, which
consisted of electrically changed particles. Later, a third type, gamma radiation
was discovered which proved to be a form of electromagnetic radiation.

Know this!
Marya Sklodowska (Marie Curie) was born
on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. She left for  Nobel Prize – prestigious award
Sorbonne in Paris to study chemistry where he met given to a person who has done
and married another chemist, Pierre Curie (1859- extraordinary things.
1906).
 Electromagnetic waves – waves
In their own research on radiation, they were that do not need medium in order
able to discover that a mineral uranium, is 4x as to propagate.
radioactive as pure uranium. This led them to
conclude that the mineral must contain some
unknown radioactive element. By 1902, they successfully separated 0.1 gram of
the unknown element and called it radium. This breakthrough led them to a
Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. The
Curies were the first scientists who received 2 Nobel Prizes.

7
 What you will do
Activity 1.1 Try Me!

Direction: Answer the crossword puzzle given below.

1

3 2

Across
1. Marie Curie’s husband
2. Becquerel’s first name or given name
3. Process of atom transformation

Vertical
1. Element discovered by Becquerel to be radioactive
2. Radioactive element discovered by the Curies
3. Home town of Marie Curie.

Key to answers on page 27

8
The Nucleus of the Atom

Before we go on, identify the following parts of an atom

Fig 1.2 The Atom

Key to answers on page 27

Read this!

The atomic nucleus is a very tiny structure of an atom which is composed

of particles called nucleons. Electrically charged nucleons are the protons and
the neutrally charged nucleons are the neutrons. On the average, nucleons have
nearly 2000 times the mass of the electron. This means that the mass of an atom
is practically equal to the mass of its nucleus alone!

Electrons are held close to the nucleus by the protons. The neutrons, on
the other hand, hold the nucleus together. Nucleons are bound by an attractive
force known as the strong nuclear force, which holds the
1 2
protons and neutrons together inside the nucleus.

In an electrically neutral atom, the number of protons 1 H 1 H

inside the nucleus is equal to the number of electrons in the Hydrogen Deuterium
atomic orbital. A difference in the number of protons and 3
electrons makes the atom a charged particle and is known as an
ion. The number of neutrons in the nucleus, however, has no 1 H
effect on the number of electrons an atom may have. This means Tritium
that any change in the number of neutrons will not affect the
chemical properties of an element. Elements having different Fig 1.3 Isotopes of
numbers of neutrons but have the same number of protons have Hydrogen
the same chemical properties and are called isotopes.

9
The common form of hydrogen has a bare proton as its nucleus. There are
however different kinds of hydrogen as seen in figure 1.2. They all have the
same number of protons but different number of neutrons. Thus, they are known
as the isotopes of hydrogen: deuterium and tritium.

1
1 H is a stable element. This means that it has no excess nuclear energy.
2 3
On the other hand, 1 H and 1 H which are isotopes of hydrogen are unstable
atoms. They have excess nuclear energy which is released when the neutrons
inside their nuclei decay.

What you will do

Self-Test 1.1

Direction: Answer the following briefly.

1. What is the major contribution of the Curies in the field of radiation that
gave them two Nobel prizes?
2. Who initiated the research on radiation?
3. Between what subatomic particles does the strong nuclear force act?
4. How does the number of electrons in an electrically neutral atom compare
with the number of protons in its nucleus?
5. What do different isotopes of a given element have in common? How are
they different?

Key to answers on page 28

10
Lesson 2 Radioactivity

Read this!

Fig 2.1 The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Radiation is energy in transit in the form of high speed particles and

electromagnetic waves as seen in Figure 2.1. There are basically 2 types of
radiation: the ionizing radiation and the non-ionizing radiation.

Take a look at figure 2.1. The electromagnetic waves that we often

encounter such as visible light, radio waves, infrared, microwaves and UV are
electromagnetic waves that do not carry enough energy to separate molecules or
remove electrons from an atom. Such waves are called non-ionizing radiation.

The electromagnetic waves, on the other hand, such as x-rays, gamma

rays and cosmic rays are known as ionizing radiation. These are the rays that
carry amounts of energy large enough to remove electrons from the atom, thus
making the atom a charged or an ionized particle. In the same manner, some
atoms are unstable and are called radioactive. These atoms eventually
disintegrate into a totally new atom. This process of
spontaneous transformation of an unstable atom which
results in the emission of radiation is called radioactivity. Stable

Take a look at Figure 2.2. A single or lone neutron is

+ neutron

an unstable neutron. While a neutron with a proton is a

stable one. Neutrons without nearby protons decay into a
proton and an electron (Figure 2.2). All nuclei that decay in Unstable neutron
this manner are known to be radioactive. Radioactive atoms
decay and emit three distinct types of rays. These are the
alpha particle () for an alpha decay, a beta particle () for a
+
beta decay, and gamma ray () for a gamma decay.

11
Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons Fig 2.2 Stable and Unstable Neutron
in the form of atomic nuclei. They carry a positive
electrical charge and are emitted from naturally occurring 4
2 He
Alpha particle
heavy elements such as uranium. Since alpha particles are
relatively large they collide readily with matter and quickly
loses this energy, thus they have little penetrating power. 0
1e
Beta particle
Sheets of paper and skin can easily block or stop alpha
particles.
Gamma ray
Beta particles, on the other hand, are fast moving
electrons ejected from the nuclei. They are smaller than the
alpha particle, thus they have greater penetrating capability.
They can penetrate up to 2 cm of water or human flesh and
can only be stopped by a sheet of aluminum.
Fig 2.3 Ionizing particles and
radiation
X-rays and gamma rays are transmitted through
waves. X-rays are generally artificially produced while
gamma rays are generally emitted from the atomic nucleus. Both have high
penetrating power and can easily pass through the human body. Only thick
barriers of concrete, lead or water can be used to stop them.

Neutrons are particles, that are highly penetrating. They usually originate
from the splitting (nuclear fission) of atoms in a nuclear reaction. Water and
concrete are the most common shields against neutron radiation.

What you will do

Activity 2.1 Ionizing Radiation

Direction: Identify the ionizing radiation that can penetrate the given
materials.

Key to answers on page 28

12
 Did you know that Uranium-
238 can decay and become
Thorium- 234? When a nucleus of 92 + 90 2
+ +
an atom emits an alpha or a beta 146 144 2
particle, a different element is
formed. This changing of one
238 234 4
92 U 90 Th He
element to another is called
transmutation.  + 2
(Parent nucleus) (Daughter nucleus) (alpha particle)

Fig 2.4 Transmutation of a radioactive element

Take a look at figure 2.4. Uranium-238 has 92 protons and 146 neutrons.
The sum of the protons and neutrons is 238. This is known as the atom’s mass
number. The mass number of an
atom is the total number of
particles inside the atomic nucleus.
4
If an alpha particle ( 2 He ) is emitted 90 + 91 2 +
then the mass number of Uranium 144 143
is decreased by 4 while the number
of protons is decreased by 2. This 234 0
234
results to a nucleus with a mass 90 Th  91 Pa + −1 e
number of 234 (238-4=234) 90 and
(Parent nucleus) (Daughter nucleus) (beta particle)
protons (92-2=90). If we consult the
periodic table of elements, the
Fig 2.5 Beta Decay of Thorium-234
element with 90 protons and a
mass number of 234 is Thorium.
This means that Uranium (parent nucleus) has become thorium (daughter
nucleus) when an alpha particle is emitted. This radioactive decay is particularly
called alpha decay. When this happens, energy is then released in three forms:
gamma radiation, kinetic energy of the alpha particle and kinetic energy of the
thorium.

Take a look at figure 2.5. Thorium is still radioactive and can possibly emit
a beta particle. Remember that a beta particle is an electron ejected from the
nucleus. When a beta particle is ejected, a neutron changes into a proton. For
thorium, beta emission leaves its initially 90 protons with fewer neutrons and an
additional proton. Thus, the new nucleus has 91 protons and 143 neutrons. In the
periodic table of elements the element which has 91 protons and 143 neutrons is
Protactinium.

13
Gamma emission has no effect on the mass 234 234
number or on the number of protons. Thus, for
Thorium, gamma decay results to Thorium of 90 Th  90 Th + 
lesser energy.
Fig 2.6 Gamma decay of Thorium-234

Remember this!

The number of nucleons on the left side of the equation (reactants) must always
equal the number of nucleons on the right side of the equation (products).

What you will do

Activity 2.2 Ionizing Radiation

Direction: Identify the nucleus of the new element designated by X in each

of the following reactions.

226 4
1. 88 Ra X + 2 He

234 0
2. 91 Pa  X + 1 e

59
3. 26 Fe  X + 

234
4. 92 U X + 

Key to answers on page 28

14
The Half-life

Do you have any idea when will half of Radium-226

decay? The time needed for half of the active atoms to
226
decay is known as half life. This means that half-life is the
radioactive decay rate. In the case of Radium-226, its half-
life is 1620 years. This means that after 1620 years, half of
the 5-g sample which is 2.5 grams will decay leaving a 2.5 g
Ra
active radium-226. Then after another 1620 years, half of the
remaining 2.5 grams which is 1.25 grams will decay leaving 1.25 g active radium
– 226.

Rates of radioactivity are remarkably constant

and are not affected by any external conditions such
as changes in pressure and temperature. Uranium-
238 for example has a half-life of 4.5 billion years.
This is measured using radiation detectors such as a
Geiger counter and scintillation counter. A Geiger
counter detects incoming radiation by its ionizing Geiger Counter Scintillation Counter
effect on enclosed gas in a tube. A scintillation
counter, on the other hand, detects incoming
radiation by flashes of light that are produced when Fig 2.7 Radiation detectors
charged particles or gamma rays pass through it. The
half-life of an isotope is related to its rate of
disintegration. Generally, half-life is shorter for more active substances. The half-
life can be computed from the rate of disintegration, which can be done in the
laboratory.

What you will do

Activity 2.3 Half-Life

Objective:
To develop an understanding of half life of radioactive atoms.

Materials:
100 25-centavo coins, graphing paper

Procedure:
1. Place the 100 25-centavo coins in a shoe box.
2. Pour out the coins on a clean table.
3. Take out the coins that show the head. The coins that showed the head
represents the decayed radioactive material.
4. Count how many coins are left after the 1 st throw. Record your data on the
table provided.

15
 5. Place the remaining coins in the box. Then again pour out the coins on the
clean table.
6. Take out the coins that show the head.
7. Count how many coins are left. Record your data on the table provided.
8. Continue doing the activity until only 2 or 3 coins are left.

Data and Results

Number of decayed Number of coins

Number of throws
coins left
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Analysis:

1. Using your data what do you notice about the rate at which the coins
“decay” as their number decreases?
2. Plot the graph of the number of coins left (N) against the number of throws
(t). The number of coins should be along the vertical axis while the
number of throws should be on the x-axis.

16
 3. How would you describe the graph?
4. Describe in your own words what half-life is.

Key to answers on page 29

What you will do

Self-Test 2.1

Direction: Answer the following briefly.

234
1. Identify the daughter nucleus in the decay of 92 U by alpha particle
emission.
2. Name the element that results from the alpha decay of polonium.
3. If a sample of a radioactive isotope has a half-life of 2 years, how much of
the original sample will be left at the end of the 4th year?

17
Lesson 3 Nuclear Reaction: A menace?
Key to answers on page 29

Take a look at figure 3.1. These are 2

instances of nuclear reactions, one brings
about destruction while the other is a
constant source of energy of the planet.

The atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima

during World War II was discovered in 1939.
It involved the splitting of the atoms, a
process known as nuclear fission.

Take Note of these! Fig 3.1. Nuclear Reactions

Nuclear Fission

The nucleus of the atom is held

together by a strong nuclear force. When the Greater nuclear force than electrostatic force
strong nuclear force is greater than the
repulsive electrical force within the nucleus,
then the nucleus maintains its shape as
shown in figure 3.2. However, if the repulsive Critical deformation
electrical force increases and the nuclear
force decreases to a critical level, the nucleus
elongates. The nucleus further elongates with Greater electrical force than nuclear force
increasing electrical force until it splits. One
way for an atom to split is when it absorbs a
neutron.
Fig 3.2. Forces within the atomic nucleus
Take a look at figure 3.3. This is
what happens when one neutron starts the
fission of a uranium atom. It could result to
a combination of smaller nuclei emitting two
neutrons. These two new neutrons in turn
can cause the fissioning of two other atoms
which in turn can cause more atomic
fissioning. This makes a chain reaction.
Specifically, fission reaction occurs to the
rare isotope of U-235. If a chain reaction
occurs in a pure U-235, a great explosion
will likely to occur. This makes U-235 a
dangerous isotope of Uranium-238. But
don’t worry, it is very difficult to separate
Fig 3.3. Chain reaction
enough U-235 from U-238 for an atomic
bomb. In fact, it took the scientists more

18
than two years to extract enough U-235 from uranium ore to make one atomic
bomb that hit Hiroshima in 1945.

Think about it!

Nuclear Fusion

Take a look at the picture of the sun. What color do you see? Is this the
real color of the sun? What about the energy or light it emits? Is it also colored
yellow? The sun is really a yellow star. This is because the sun is a middle-aged
star. The color of the star tells us its temperature. Yellow stars have surface
temperatures of about 6000 oC. But the inside of the sun is much hotter than the
surface.

Astronomers believe that the inside temperature of the sun is over 13

million degrees Celsius (13 000 000 oC). This very high temperature on the inside
makes it possible for the sun to undergo a process called nuclear reaction. In a
nuclear reaction, the atomic nuclei are changed.
Atomic nuclei combine in the sun’s interior. This
kind of nuclear reaction is called thermonuclear

HHHH
fusion. Since the sun is about 80% hydrogen,
18% helium, and 2% other elements deep inside
the sun, the hydrogen nuclei fuse or combine to
form a nucleus of helium.
He
In this reaction, four hydrogen nuclei
combine to form one helium nucleus. The mass of
the helium nucleus is usually much less than the
combined mass of the four hydrogen nuclei. This
missing mass is a matter that is changed into an
amount of energy. This conversion of mass to
energy is done using Einstein’s principle of
4 H  He + Energy
matter-energy equivalence. It is usually Fig 3.4. Thermonuclear Fusion
expressed in his famous equation:

E = mc2
where

E = the equivalent energy of a difference in mass

m = difference in mass after a nuclear reaction
c = conversion factor which is also known as the speed of light
= 3 x 108 m/s

This equation means that any change in the mass of a radioactive

substance after a nuclear reaction (nuclear fission or nuclear fusion) is converted
into a form of energy. In the case of the sun, thermonuclear fusion results to a

19
difference in mass which is detected in the form of electromagnetic waves such
as light, UV and microwaves.

What you will do

Activity 3.1 Reminiscing Nuclear Energy

Look for articles or pictures of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Identify
what nuclear reaction is used to acquire energy. What are the possible
advantages and disadvantages of its construction and operation in the
Philippines (Cite at least 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages).

Key to answers on page 29

What you will do

Self-Test 3.1

Direction: Answer the following very logically.

1. What happens when U-238 absorbs a neutron?

2. What becomes of the loss in mass of nucleons when heavy atoms split?
3. What becomes of the loss in mass of nucleons when light atoms fuse to
become heavier ones?
4. Why are fusion reactors not yet a present day reality like fission reactors?

Key to answers on page 29

20
Lesson 4 Applications and Implications

Did you know that most radiation that

we encounter originate in nature? It is in the
ground where you stand on, in the bricks and
in the building. Even air is slightly radioactive.
This natural background radiation is believed
to be present before we even know about it. It
is believed to be existing before the human
race existed.

How much radiation do you receive when you

undergo chest x-ray? Is this amount of
radiation harmful to the tissue?

Fig 4.1. Background radiation

Read this!

The amount of ionizing radiation or ‘dose’

received by a person is measured in terms of the
energy absorbed in the body tissue and is
expressed in gray. One gray (Gy) is one joule
deposited per kilogram of mass. Equal exposure
to different types of radiation expressed as gray
does not necessarily mean the same biological
effects. For example, one gray of alpha radiation
will have greater effect than one gray of beta
radiation. The unit known as sievert (Sv) is used
to express the radiation effect as effective dose.
Fig 4.2 Chest X-ray
Accordingly, 2-10 sievert doses are believed to
cause severe radiation sickness and can be fatal.

21
 Table 4.1. Effective dose in Sv and their corresponding biological effects.

Effective dose Biological Effect

1 Sv Threshold for causing immediate radiation sickness
100 mSv and The probability of cancer increases with dose
above
Estimated effective dose of people who work in mines
20 mSv/yr
and hospitals
Typical background radiation from natural sources. This
2 mSv/year is close to the minimum dose received by all humans
anywhere on Earth.

What you will do

Activity 4.1 Computing my effective dose

We live in a radioactive world. By filling out this form, you will get an idea
of the amount of radiation you are exposed to every year. The average Filipino is
exposed to between 100 and 300 units each year.

YOUR ANNUAL TOTAL

Cosmic radiation that reaches earth: 44

Because cosmic radiation is modified by the atmosphere
add 1 for every 100 feet above sea level ______

If your house is brick or concrete add 45 ______

stone add 50
wood add 35

Ground radiation 15

Water, food, air radiation 25

Nuclear weapons testing fallout 4

If you have had a chest x-ray this year add 9 for each one: ______

If you’ve had intestinal x-ray add 210 ______

For each 1500 miles you’ve flown in an airplane during the

year add 1: ______

22
If you live within 5 miles from a nuclear plant add 0: ______

If you sleep with your spouse add 0.1: ______

TOTAL ______________

*Note: The unit in this computation is mSv. Check out table 4.1 if your annual
dose is within the optimum range.

Key to answers on page 29

Although radiation is a menace at high levels,

radiation in correct doses has many uses. Medical and Radiation
dental x-rays discern hidden problems. Radiation is used to Therapy
diagnose ailments. Cancer patients are treated with
radiation.

Aside from its medical applications, radiation can also

be used as a technique by archeologist to establish the
Sterilization
dates of wooden artifacts and skeleton. This process is
known as carbon dating. The dating of older, but non-living
things like the planet earth is done using uranium dating
technique. Further, nuclear reactions can produce large
amounts of energy that could sustain life on earth for a long
time. We all benefit from a multitude of products and
services made possible by the careful and responsible use
of radiation
Fig 4.3. Applications of
Radiation

23
 What you will do
Self-Test 4.1

Direction: Answer the following very briefly.

1. Cite at least 3 applications of radiation.

2. What is the probable reason why some people think of radiation as a
menace?
3. Differentiate carbon-dating and uranium-dating.

Key to answers on page 30

Let’s summarize

1. Radioactivity is the process of atomic transformation.

2. Radiation is an energy released in the form of high speed particles or
electromagnetic waves during a nuclear reaction.
3. Henry Becquerel discovered that uranium is radioactive. Marie and
Pierre Curie discovered the element radium.
4. The isotope of an element has the same number of protons as the
element but has different number of neutrons.
5. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to separate molecules or remove
electrons from an atom while non-ionizing radiation does not have
enough energy to remove electrons from an atom.
6. Radioactive atoms decay and emit three distinct types of rays: alpha
particle in an alpha decay, beta particle in a beta decay, and gamma
ray in a gamma decay.
7. Transmutation is the changing of one element to another by emission
of an alpha particle or a beta particle.
8. Half-life is the time needed for half of the active atoms to decay.
9. Geiger counter is a radiation detector that detects incoming radiation
by its ionizing effect on enclosed gas in a tube. Scintillation counter is a
radiation detector that detects incoming radiation by flashes of light
that are produced when charged particles or gamma rays pass through
it.
10. There are two types of nuclear reactions: nuclear fusion and nuclear
fission. Nuclear fission is the splitting of atom that releases tremendous
amount of energy while nuclear fusion involves combining the nuclei of
atom to produce large amounts of energy.

24
 11. Radiation can be a menace through the production of atomic bombs.
However, radiation is of great help to humans especially in the field of
medicine and archeology, and as an energy source.

Posttest
Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper

1. The energy released in the form of high speed particles or electromagnetic

waves during a nuclear reaction is known as ____________.
a. chemical energy
b. electrical energy
c. stored energy
d. radiation

2. The physicist and the specialist in the field of fluorescence who discovered
that the element uranium is radioactive is ______________.
a. Marie Currie
b. William Roentgen
c. Ernest Rutherford
d. Henri Becquerel

3. Which of the following compose the nucleons?

a. electrons, protons and neutrons.
b. electrons and protons
c. neutrons and electrons
d. protons and neutrons

4. What do you call the force that maintains the electrons in their orbitals?
a. nucleonic force
b. gravitational force
c. electrostatic force
d. strong nuclear force

5. Helium is 4x as massive as hydrogen. Compared to the size of hydrogen,

helium is ___________.
a. smaller
b. of the same size
c. twice as large
d. four times as large

6. Which among the ionizing radiation can penetrate the least into a material?
a. an x-ray

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 b. a beta particle
c. a gamma ray
d. an alpha particle
7. The reasons alpha rays are easy to stop is that they _____________.
a. are relatively big
b. slow down easily
c. are doubly changed
d. All of the above.

8. Large nuclei, like radium are radioactive because ____________.

a. they have too much mass
b. there are too many protons
c. there are too many isolated neutrons
d. they can hold extra particles, like beta rays

9. When Uranium (90 protons) ejects a beta particle, how many protons does
the remaining nucleus have?
a. 92 protons
b. 91 protons
c. 90 protons
d. 89 protons

10. What happens to the atomic number of an element which emits 1 alpha
particle and 1 beta particle?
a. increases by 1
b. stays the same
c. decreases by 2
d. decreases by 1

11. What happens to the atomic number of an element which emits 1 alpha
particle?
a. increases by 1
b. stays the same
c. decreases by 2
d. decreases by 1

12. A sample of a certain radioactive material has a half-life of 1.5 year. How
much of this radioactive material will be left at the end of 3 years?
a. one sixteenth
b. one eighth
c. one quarter
d. one half

13. The half-life of most radioactive isotopes is about _________.

a. 5700 years
b. a few years

26
c. a few seconds
d. half lives range from very short to very long

27
14. The half life of a certain isotope is 2 days. At the end of 2 days, how much of
the isotope remains?
a. one half
b. one quarter
c. one eighth
d. none of it

15. Which of the following nuclear reactions is responsible for the release of
energy by the sun?
a. Nuclear Fission
b. Thermonuclear Fusion
c. None of the above
d. Needs more information to say

16. When an element splits, the process would yield ___________.

a. a net release of energy
b. a net absorption of energy
c. neither absorption nor release
d. Not enough information to say

17. Which shape uses the smallest amount of material when creating a critical
mass?
a. cube
b. cone
c. sphere
d. elongated box

18. If gold were used as nuclear fuel, it would be best ____________.

a. fused
b. split
c. either fused or split
d. neither fused nor split

19. An experimenter finds that 50% of a sample of U-238 has decayed. Since U-
238 has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, the sample’s age is about __________.
a. 0.60 billion years
b. 1.12 billion years
c. 2.25 billion years
d. 4.50 billion years

20. The reason carbon-dating works is that ______________.

a. plants and animals are such strong emitters of carbon-14
b. after a plant or animal dies, it stops taking in fresh carbon-14
c. there is so much non-radioactive carbon dioxide in the air
d. when a plant of an animal dies, it stops producing oxygen

Key to answers on page 30

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 -End of Module-

References

Halliday, D., Resnick, R. & Krane, K. (1994). Fundamentals of physics. Singapore: John Wiley &
Sons Inc.

Hewitt, P. (1989). Conceptual physics (6th Ed.) London: Scoot, Foresman and Company

Heuvelen, A. (1986). Physics. A general introduction (2nd Edition). Sta. Cruz, Manila: UNI-ED Inc.,

Jones, E. & Childers, R. (1999). Contemporary college physics. NY: Mc Craw-Hill Co.

Morales, M., Corpus, A., Corpus, E., Dayao, A., Sotto, R. (2000). WorkText in physical sciences.
Manila: PNU Press

Young, Hugh. D. (1996). University physics (9th Edition). NY : Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.

Physics Classroom Tom Henderson © 1996-2004. Retrieved on January 5, 2005 form

www.physicsclassroom.com

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