Chapter 44

Nuclear Structure
Multiple Choice
165
1. The radius of a nucleus of 67 Ho (in fm) is

a. 15.4
b. 5.5
c. 12.8
d. 6.6
e. 4.9

2. Two isotopes of uranium have the same

a. mass number
b. neutron number
c. atomic number
d. nucleon number
e. nucleon number and neutron number

3. The ratio of the radius of a classical electron (re = kee2/mec2 = 2.8 × 10–15 m) to the
radius of a 4He nucleus (r =r0A1/3) is
a. 2.0
b. 0.68
c. 1.5
d. 0.92
e. 2.4

4. The ratio of the density of a neutron (r =r0A1/3) to the density of a classical

electron (re = ke2/mec2 = 2.8 × 10–15 m) is

a. 4.3 × 102
b. 2.3 × 104
c. 1.4 × 102
d. 6.9 × 10–3
e. 4.3 × 103

5. For large mass number nuclei which are stable, the ratio of protons to neutrons is
a. equal to 1
b. greater than 1
c. less than 1
d. unrelated to the stability of nuclei
e. almost 2 to 1

375
376 CHAPTER 44

6. Calculate the binding energy per nucleon (MeV/nucleon) for tritium, ( 13 H) a

radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
Assume:
mp = 1.007825 u
mn = 1.008665 u
mt = 3.01605 u
u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 2.8
b. 3.1
c. 1.0
d. 8.5
e. 2.1

7. Find the ratio of the binding energy per nucleon for helium ( 24 He) to uranium-
238 ( 238
92 U).

Assume:
mp = 1.007825 u
mn = 1.008665 u
mHe = 4.002603 u
mU = 238.050786 u
u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 1.07
b. 0.934
c. 63.7
d. 1.6 × 10–2
e. 3.24

8. Find the binding energy (in MeV) of carbon-12.

Assume:
mC = 11.996706 u
mp = 1.007276 u
mn = 1.008665 u
u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 14.8
b. 0.511
c. 9.11
d. 92.3
e. 46.2
 Nuclear Structure 377

9. Find the binding energy per nucleon (in MeV/nucleon) of carbon-12.

Assume:
mC = 11.996706 u
mp = 1.007276 u
mn = 1.008665 u
u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 1.2
b. 4.2 × 10–2
c. 7.4
d. 7.7
e. 5.6

10. An alpha particle is emitted from a radioactive source with an energy of 5 MeV.
How fast is it moving (in m/s)? (m = 4.002603 u, 1 u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg.)
a. 2.4 × 107
b. 1.5 × 107
c. 3.7 × 107
d. 4.6 × 107
e. 2.1 × 107

11. The isotope, tritium, has a half-life of 12.3 years. Assume we have 10 kg of the
substance. What will be the disintegration constant (in s–1)?
a. 5.6 × 10–2
b. 5.6 × 108
c. 3.2 × 107
d. 1.8 × 10–9
e. 1.6 × 106

12. The isotope, tritium, has a half-life of 12.3 years. Assume we have 10 kg of the
substance. What will be the initial decay rate, at t = 0 (in decays/s)?
a. 1.09 × 1014
b. 1.8 × 10–9
c. 5.6 × 108
d. 3.6 × 1017

13. The isotope, tritium, has a half-life of 12.3 years. Assume we have 10 kg of the
substance. How much tritium will be left after 30 years?
a. 0.20 kg
b. 1.8 kg
c. 0.18 kg
d. 1.7 kg
e. 4.1 kg
378 CHAPTER 44

14. 44 g of petrified wood was found in a petrified forest. A sample showed a 14C
activity of 100 decays/minute. How long has the tree been dead (in years)? (The
half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years and freshly cut wood contains 6.5 × 1010 atoms
of 14C per gram.)
a. 12 300
b. 15 600
c. 8 500
d. 4 700
e. 2 400

15. The half-life of 131I is 8.04 days. Three days after it was prepared, its activity was
0.50 μCi. How many curies (in μCi) were initially prepared?
a. .60
b. .70
c. .65
d. .55
e. .39

16. How many radioactive atoms are present in a sample that has an activity of
0.5 μCi and a half-life of 10 years? (1 curie = 3.7 × 1010 decays/s).
a. 9.5 × 1012 atoms
b. 8.4 × 1012 atoms
c. 7.3 × 1012 atoms
d. 6.5 × 1012 atoms
e. 2.7 × 105 atoms

17. Radioactive nuclei can decay spontaneously by emitting the following particles:
a. helium nuclei, electrons, photons
b. electrons, neutrons, protons
c. helium nuclei, electrons, protons
d. electrons, neutrons, photons
e. quarks and leptons

18. What value of Z (atomic number) and A (mass number) result in the following
alpha decay?
238
92 U→ A
ZX +α

a. Z = 92; A = 238
b. Z = 91; A = 238
c. Z = 90; A = 234
d. Z = 93; A = 238
e. Z = 88; A = 236
 Nuclear Structure 379

19. What value of Z (atomic number) and A (mass number) result in the following
β-decay?
14
6C → A
ZX + e–

a. Z = 5; A = 14
b. Z = 4; A = 10
c. Z = 6; A = 14
d. Z = 7; A = 14
e. Z = 7; A = 13

20. What value of Z (atomic number) and A (mass number) result in the following
β-decay?
12
7N → A
ZX + e+

a. Z = 6; A = 12
b. Z = 5; A = 8
c. Z = 6; A = 11
d. Z = 8; A = 12
e. Z = 8; A = 11

21. What value of Z (atomic number) and A (mass number) result in the following
gamma decay?
12
6C → A
ZX +γ

a. Z = 5; A = 12
b. Z = 4; A = 8
c. Z = 7; A = 12
d. Z = 6; A = 12
e. Z = 6; A = 11

22. What is the disintegration energy (in MeV) associated with this spontaneous
decay?
144
60 Nd → 140
58 Ce + 24 He

mNd = 143.9099 u
mCe = 139.9053 u
mHe = 4.0026 u
1 u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 1.54
b. 2.37
c. 1.87
d. 4.13
e. 8.21
380 CHAPTER 44

23. When a neutron decays, a proton and an electron are observed. When the
electrons emitted from a sample of neutrons are observed, they are found to have
different kinetic energies. This was accounted for by
a. introducing a different particle, the neutrino.
b. introducing the effect of gravity on the particles.
c. including the kinetic energies of the neutron and proton.
d. modifying the laws of conservation of momentum and energy.
e. taking into account the uncertainties associated with Heisenberg’s
Uncertainty Principle.

24. The reaction energy associated with a nuclear reaction is

a. the total energy released as a result of the reaction.
b. equivalent to the disintegration energy.
c. the minimum energy necessary for such a reaction to occur.
d. called the threshold energy.
e. the binding energy of the nucleons.

25. The Q value for the following reaction, 94 Be (α, n) 12

6 C, is (in MeV)

m(alpha) = 4.002603 u
m(Be) = 9.012182 u
m(n) = 1.008665 u
m(C) = 12.00000 u
1 u = 1.66 × 10–27 kg
a. 8.4
b. 6.2
c. 7.3
d. 5.7
e. 3.5

26. It is often possible to use the atomic masses when calculating the binding energy
of a nucleus. The reason for this is
a. the electron masses do not cancel.
b. the electron masses cancel.
c. tables of nuclear masses are usually not available.
d. the mass of the electron can usually be neglected when compared to the
mass of the neutron.
e. the atomic masses are the same as the nuclear masses.

27. It is often possible to use atomic masses when calculating the binding energy of a
nucleus. This is not true for the e+ decay process since
a. the electron masses do not cancel.
b. a positron is an antiparticle.
c. the electron masses cancel.
d. the mass of a positron cannot be neglected when compared to the mass of a
nucleus.
e. none of the above.
 Nuclear Structure 381

28. How can a nucleus be described by particular values of A, Z and N when the
mass of the nucleus is not equal to Zmp + Nmn, where mp and mn are the masses of
free protons and neutrons?
a. A, Z and N have no intrinsic meaning.
b. A, Z and N describe the number of particles of given types, but mass has no
meaning when part of the mass is elsewhere in the universe.
c. A, Z and N describe the number of particles an ideal rather than a real
nucleus would have.
d. A, Z and N describe the number of particles of given types in the nucleus,
but not their masses in a bound state.
e. A, Z and N describe the number of particles of given types in the nucleus
since the missing mass consists of electrons that are also present in the
nucleus.

29. Heavy nuclei are unstable because

a. each nucleon is a separate particle that is not acted on by the nuclear force.
b. there are not enough protons present relative to the number of neutrons for
the electrical force to be strong enough.
c. the nuclear force dominates the repulsive force at distances less than 2 fm,
but falls off rapidly at greater distances.
d. nuclei are stable only when the number of neutrons equals the number of
protons.
e. nuclei are stable only when the number of protons exceeds the number of
neutrons.

30. Because we know that the half-lives of many radioactive isotopes are millions of
years, we can deduce that
a. the longer it exists the more radioactive nuclei Earth produces.
b. the sun is the source of all the radioactive nuclei on Earth.
c. there must have been many more radioactive nuclei on Earth when life
began.
d. there must have been far fewer radioactive nuclei on Earth before life began.
e. the natural radioactivity of minerals on the Earth was created by the Earth’s
internal temperature.

31. Rutherford’s experiment, in which he fired alpha particles of 7.7 MeV kinetic
energy at a thin gold foil, showed that nuclei were very much smaller than the
size of an atom because
a. some alpha particles passed through the foil undeflected.
b. some alpha particles were deflected backwards.
c. some alpha particles were captured by the gold nuclei.
d. the alpha particles could not get closer than 10–10 m to the gold nuclei.
e. the alpha particles split into deuterium nuclei when they encountered the
gold nuclei.
382 CHAPTER 44

32. Two nuclei which share the same mass number A always are
a. stable.
b. unstable.
c. isotopes.
d. isobars.
e. radioactive.

33. Two nuclei which share the same atomic number Z always are
a. stable.
b. unstable.
c. isotopes.
d. isobars.
e. radioactive.

34. Two nuclei may have equal Z, but different A, because they contain
a. equal numbers of protons and neutrons.
b. equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
c. different numbers of protons but equal numbers of neutrons.
d. different numbers of protons and neutrons.
e. electrons as well as neutrons.

35. The radius of an approximately spherical nucleus is given by r =

a. r0 Z 3 .
b. r0 Z1/ 3 .
c. r0 A 3 .
d. r0 A1/ 3 .
e. r0 ( A − Z )1/ 3 .

36. Which of the effects listed below is not a major effect influencing the binding
energy of the nucleus in the liquid-drop model?
a. The volume effect: the binding energy per nucleon is approximately
constant when A > 50 .
b. The surface effect: nucleons in the surface have fewer neighbors.
c. The quantum number effect: all nucleons in the nucleus have the same set of
quantum numbers.
d. The Coulomb repulsion effect: protons repel protons.
e. The symmetry effect: stable nuclei tend to have N ≈ Z .

37. According to the shell model, binding energy per nucleon is greater when N or Z
is equal to one of the numbers below except for
a. 2.
b. 8.
c. 13.
d. 20.
e. 28.
 Nuclear Structure 383

38. In beta decays

a. a proton changes to a neutron.
b. a neutron changes to a proton.
c. an electron is present in the nucleus before the decay.
d. (a), (b) or (c) may occur.
e. only (a) or (b) may occur.

39. In nuclear magnetic resonance, nuclei absorb energy when flipping between
nuclear
a. mass states.
b. spin states.
c. charge states.
d. decay states.
e. isotope states.

40. The chart below shows part of the radioactive series beginning with the isotope
235
92 U . The isotope marked with an X is

235
92 U α

e−

α X

226
a. 88 Ra .
227
b. 88 Ra .
227
c. 89 Ac .
231
d. 90 Th .
231
e. 91 Pa .

41. A glass container holds equal numbers of atoms of phosphorus 30 with a half-life
of 2.5 minutes and of nitrogen 13 with a half-life of 10 minutes. After 20 minutes
the ratio of the number of nitrogen atoms remaining to the number of
phosphorus atoms remaining is
1
a. .
256
1
b. .
64
1
c. .
8
d. 64.
e. 256.
384 CHAPTER 44

42. The chart below shows part of the radioactive series beginning with the isotope
232
90Th . The isotope marked with an X is

232
90 Th α

e−

e−

α
X

222
a. 88 Ra .
224
b. 88 Ra .
228
c. 89 Ac .
224
d. 90 Th .
228
e. 90 Th .

43. A glass container holds equal numbers of atoms of phosphorus 30 with a half-life
of 2.5 minutes and of nitrogen 13 with a half-life of 10 minutes. After 20 minutes
the ratio of the number of nitrogen atoms remaining to the number of
phosphorus atoms remaining is
a. 0.063.
b. 0.11.
c. 0.19.
d. 0.57.
e. 5.3.

44. Linus claims that the added gravitational force of neutrons holds the particles in
a nucleus together. Linnea says that they stick together because they lose their
electric charge when they form a nucleus. Which one, if either, is correct, and
why?
a. Linus, because more particles exert gravitational forces on one another than
exert electromagnetic forces.
b. Linus, because the numerical magnitude of G / ke is 7.42 × 10−21 .
c. Linnea, because the numerical magnitude of G / ke is 7.42 × 10−21 .
d. Both, because elecric charge is lost and then gravity holds the nucleus
together.
e. Neither, because gravity is not lost, and the numerical magnitude of ke /G
is 1.35 × 10 20 .
 Nuclear Structure 385

45. Homer says that we can safely use nuclear power because all radioactive nuclei
are gone after two half-lives. Marge says that only the decay rate is zero after two
half-lives. Which one, if either, is correct, and why?
a. Homer, because half of the nuclei disintegrate in each half-life.
b. Marge, because the number of decays per unit time is halved in each half-
life.
c. Homer, because it’s safe to handle radioactive substances after two half-
lives.
d. Both, because when all nuclei disintegrate the decay rate is also zero.
e. Neither, because one quarter of the nuclei are left after two half-lives.

Open-Ended Problems
46. A pure sample of 226Ra contains 2.0 × 1014 atoms of the isotope. If the half-life of
226
Ra = 1.6 × 103 years, what is the decay rate of this sample? (1 Ci = 3.7 × 1010
decays/s)

47. The half-life of 131I is 8 days. On a certain day, the activity of an 131I sample is 6.4
mCi. What is its activity 40 days later?

48. The radiocarbon content of 14C decreases after the death of a living system with a
half-life of 5730 y. If an archaeologist working a dig finds an ancient firepit
containing some partially consumed firewood and the wood contains only 12.5
percent of the 14C content of an equal carbon sample from a present-day tree,
what is the age of the ancient site?

49. The mass of 56

26 Fe is 55.9349 u and the mass of
56
27 Co is 55.9399 u. Which isobar
decays into the other, and by what process?
386 CHAPTER 44
 Nuclear Structure 387

Chapter 44
Nuclear Structure

1. d 26. b
2. c 27. a
3. c 28. d
4. b 29. c
5. c 30. c
6. a 31. b
7. b 32. d
8. d 33. c
9. d 34. b
10. b 35. d
11. d 36. c
12. d 37. c
13. b 38. e
14. b 39. b
15. c 40. c
16. b 41. d
17. a 42. b
18. c 43. c
19. d 44. e
20. a 45. e
21. d 46. 7.5 × 10–8 Ci
22. c 47. 200 μCi
23. a 48. 17 190 years
24. a 49. 56
→ 56
by e+ decay
27 Co 26 Fe
25. d
388 CHAPTER 44