Nuclear Physics MCQs Quiz Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

1. A reaction that releases more energy than is put into it is called:

1. nuclear
2. chemical
3. endothermic
4. exothermic

2. An isotope with a high Binding Energy per nucleon:

1. is very stable .
2. has very few electrons.
3. will decay in a short period of time.
4. is very unstable.

3. An unknown chemical element is presented by the following formula: ^AX_Z. What is the name of index A?

1. Principle quantum number
2. Orbital quantum number
3. Atomic mass number
4. Atomic number

4. An unknown chemical element is presented by the following formula: ^AX_Z. What is the name of index Z?

1. Principle quantum number
2. Orbital quantum number
3. Atomic mass number
4. Atomic number

5. A 100 g sample of a radioactive element has a half-life of 5 days. How many grams of radioactive material will remain after 15 days?

1. 25 g
2. 12.5 g
3. 100 g
4. 50 g

6. Binding energy is:

1. the amount of energy required to break a nucleus apart into electrons and neutrons.
2. the amount of energy released when neutrons change energy levels.
3. the amount of energy required to break a nucleus apart into protons and neutrons.
4. the amount of energy required to break a nucleus apart into protons and electrons.

7. How many electrons are in the ⁶C₁₂ atom?

1. 18
2. 3
3. 12
4. 6

8. How many neutrons are in the ²³Na₁₁ atom?

1. 18
2. 24
3. 12
4. 11

9. How many nucleons are in the ²⁰Ne₁₀ atom?

1. 18
2. 20
3. 12
4. 30

10. How many protons are in the ¹⁴N₇ atom?

1. 7
2. 10
3. 14
4. 6

11. Isotopes of an element:

1. have different number of protons.
2. have different number of electrons.
3. have the same number of protons and electrons, but a different number of neutrons.
4. have the same number of protons and neutrons, but a different number of electrons.

12. The atomic mass number is equivalent to which of the following?

1. The number of nucleons in the atom
2. The number of alpha-particles in the atom.
3. The number of neutrons in the atom.
4. The number of protons in the atom.

13. The atomic number is equivalent to which of the following?

1. The number of nucleons in the atom.
2. The number of alpha-particles in the atom.
3. The number of neutrons in the atom.
4. The number of protons in the atom.

14. The following reaction: ¹n₊₀ + ²³⁵U₉₂ -> ¹⁴¹Ba₅₆ + ⁹²Kr₃₆ + 3¹n₀ is called:

1. alpha decay
2. beta decay
3. Fusion
4. Fission

15. The following reaction: ²H₁ + ³H₊₁ -> ⁴He₂ + ¹n₀ is called:

1. alpha decay
2. beta decay
3. Fusion
4. Fission

16. What force is responsible for the radioactive decay of the nucleus?

1. Strong Nuclear force
2. Electromagnetic force
3. Gravitational force
4. Weak Nuclear force

17. What law did Ernest Rutherford use to estimate the size of the nucleus?

1. Conservation of linear momentum
2. Conservation of energy
3. Conservation of nucleon number
4. Conservation of angular momentum

18. When a nucleus is divided into its constituents, energy is:

1. transformed into visible light.
2. absorbed by the nucleus which then breaks it apart.
3. created from nothing.
4. destroyed into nothing.

19. When nucleons form a stable nucleus, binding energy is:

1. transformed into visible light.
2. released as high energy photons or particles.
3. created from nothing.
4. destroyed into nothing.

20. Which of the following about the gamma ray is true?

1. It can be deflected by a magnetic field.
2. It has zero rest mass and a neutral charge.
3. It carries a positive charge.
4. It carries a negative charge.

21. Which of the following about the nuclear force is true?

1. It is much weaker than the electromagnetic force.
2. It is a strong, short-range, attractive force between the nucleons.
3. It is an attractive force between electrons and protons in an atom.
4. It is an attractive force between electrons and neutrons in an atom.

22. Which of the following is correct for the number of neutrons in the nucleus?

1. N = Z +A
2. N = Z
3. N = A –Z
4. N = Z – A

23. Which of the following is the Beta particle?

1. ¹n₀
2. ¹H₁
3. ⁰e₊₁
4. ⁰e_-1

24. Which of the following is the Beta-particle?

1. ¹n₀
2. ¹H₁
3. ⁰e₊₁
4. ⁰e_-1

25. Which of the following particles has the smallest mass?

1. Neutron
2. Nucleus
3. Proton
4. Electron

26. Which of the following statements about the mass of an atom is true?

1. It is concentrated in the electron cloud.
2. It is concentrated in the nucleus.
3. It is evenly divided between the protons and the orbiting electrons.
4. It is evenly divided between the nucleons and the orbiting electrons.

27. Which type of radiation is stopped by a sheet of paper?

1. Gamma ray
2. X-ray
3. alpha particle
4. beta particle

28. Why are nuclear energy levels more complex than electron energy levels?

1. Nuclear energy levels are an order of one hundred times as great as electron energy levels.
2. Electron energy levels depend on the interaction between neutrons and electrons.
3. Nuclear energy levels depend only on attractive forces.
4. Nuclear energy levels depend on attractive and repulsive forces.

29. Why do heavier nuclei have a greater ratio of neutrons to protons than lighter nuclei?

1. to provide more attractive electromagnetic force.
2. to provide more attractive strong nuclear force to balance the repulsive electromagnetic force.
3. to add more nucleons so that the binding energy is greater.
4. to provide a greater weak nuclear force.