Radioactive Isotopes trivia
Radioactive Isotopes Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Carbon-14 enters living organisms mainly because cosmic rays do what?
Cosmic rays trigger reactions in the upper atmosphere that convert nitrogen atoms into carbon-14.
Which iodine-131 emission mainly treats an overactive thyroid?
Iodine-131 releases beta particles that travel a short distance in tissue and damage nearby thyroid cells.
Why does uranium-235 still occur naturally on Earth?
Roughly 704 million years pass before half of a uranium-235 sample decays, leaving some from Earth's early history.
Uranium-235 can support a chain reaction because fission events can:
A single uranium-235 nucleus typically emits two or three neutrons when it splits, allowing some to trigger additional splits.
Why can iodine-131 target an overactive thyroid?
Thyroid cells naturally collect iodine to make hormones, allowing iodine-131 to deliver radiation directly to those cells.
Which iodine-131 emission lets external detectors locate the isotope?
Iodine-131 emits penetrating gamma rays that can leave the body and reach imaging equipment.
Carbon-14 dating primarily estimates the age of which material?
Living organisms exchange carbon while alive; after death, carbon-14 steadily decays and leaves an age-related signal.
In carbon-14, what does the number 14 represent?
Carbon-14 has six protons and eight neutrons, so its mass number is 14.
After uranium-235 emits an alpha particle, which element forms?
Uranium-235's daughter nucleus has two fewer protons and two fewer neutrons, shifting the element down two places and lowering its mass number by four.
What process creates iodine-131 as a reactor byproduct?
Iodine-131 is a fission product formed when heavy uranium or plutonium nuclei split.