Nuclear Decay - Questions

The Nuclear Decay Concept Builder is comprised of 54 questions. The questions are divided into 18 different Question Groups and spread across three activities. Questions in the same group are rather similar to one another. The Concept Builder is coded to select at random a question from each group until a student is successful with that group of questions.

There are three activities in this Concept Builder. Those three activities are differentiated as follows:
 

• Particle Soup: Question Groups 1-6 ... Presents learners with various representations of the particles (nuclear equations, symbolic representations, verbal descriptions, etc.) and challenges them to identify each type.
• Decay Type: Question Groups 7-12 ... Presents learners with the isotope symbol for a beginning and a product isotope and challenges them to identify the decay type.
• Name That Isotope: Question Groups 13-18 ... Challenges learners to identify the atomic number and mass number of the product isotope that results from the stated decay of a given isotope.

The questions from each group are shown below. Teachers are encouraged to view the questions in order to judge which activities are most appropriate for their classes. We recommend providing students two or more options. 

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Nuclear Decay

 

Activity 1: Particle Soup
Question Group 1
Question 1
Identify the type of particle being described by each statement.
 
A high-speed electron
A helium nucleus
The anti-particle of an electron
 
 
 
Question 2
Identify the type of particle being described by each statement.
 
The anti-particle of an electron
A high-speed electron
A helium nucleus
 
 
 
Question 3
Identify the type of particle being described by each statement.
 
A helium nucleus
The anti-particle of an electron
A high-speed electron
 
 
 
 
Question Group 2
Question 4
Match the given symbols to the type of particle it describes.  
 

Question 5
Match the given symbols to the type of particle it describes.
   
 

Question 6
Match the given symbols to the type of particle it describes.
   

 

Question Group 3
Question 7
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 

 
Question 8
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
 
Question 9
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 

 
Question Group 4
Question 10
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
Question 11
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 

 
Question 12
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or positron emission - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
Question Group 5
Question 13
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 

 
Question 14
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
Question 15
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 

 
Question Group 6
Question 16
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
Question 17
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 

 
Question 18
Identify the type of decay - alpha decay, beta decay, or electron capture - represented by each of the following processes:
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Activity 2:  Decay Type
Question Group 7
Question 19
Identify the type of decay represented by the following process:
 
   
 
Question 20
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
Question 21
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
 
Question Group 8
Question 22
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 

 
Question 23
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
   
 

 
Question 24
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
 
Question Group 9
Question 25
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
Question 26
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
   

 
Question 27
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 

 
 
Question Group 10
Question 28
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 

 
Question 29
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 
 
Question 30
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 

 
 
 
Question Group 11
Question 31
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 
 
Question 32
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 
 
Question 33
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 
 
Question Group 12
Question 34
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
 
 
Question 35
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
 
Question 36
Identify the type of decay represented by the following processes:
 
   
 
 
 
 

 
Activity 3: Name That Isotope
Question Group 13
Question 37
Plutonium-234 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 38
Americium-239 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
 
 
Question 39
Neptunium-235 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question Group 14
Question 40
Radium-210 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 41
Radon-200 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 42
Polonium-195 undergoes alpha decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 15
Question 43
Potassium-42 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 44
Manganese-56 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 45
Silver-108 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
 
 
Question Group 16
Question 46
Tin-121 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 47
Xenon-133 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 48
Cesium-132 undergoes beta decay. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 17
Question 49
Cesium-119 undergoes positron emission. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 50
Phosphorus-28 undergoes positron emission. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 51
Sulfur-29 undergoes positron emission. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
 
 
Question Group 18
Question 52
Sodium-21 undergoes electron capture. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 53
Oxygen-13 undergoes electron capture. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.
 
 
Question 54
Chlorine-31 undergoes electron capture. Identify the atomic and mass number of the product isotope by tapping on the appropriate cell of the table.