Half-Life Gizmo Quiz & Flashcards for Students

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Questions and Answers

What is the process called when a radioactive atom changes into a stable daughter atom?

Decay (correct)
Isotope formation
Half-life
Radiation

What device is used to detect particles and energy emitted by decaying radioactive atoms?

Radiometer
Geiger counter (correct)
Microwave oven
Spectrometer

During the decay process, which characteristic of radioactive atoms changes over time?

The mass number
The color of the atom
The electric charge
The number of daughter atoms (correct)

What happens to the rate of radioactive decay as time progresses?

It decreases (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the half-life of a radioactive substance typically defined as?

The time taken for half the atoms to decay (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes the change in the number of radioactive and daughter atoms during decay?

Radioactive atoms decrease while daughter atoms increase (C) Signup and view all the answers

If the half-life of a radioactive substance is 20 seconds, how many radioactive atoms remain after 40 seconds if you start with 128 atoms?

32 atoms (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is radiation in the context of radioactive decay?

Energy and particles emitted (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the half-life of a radioactive substance represent?

The time it takes for half of the radioactive particles to decay. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does changing the half-life from 5 seconds to 35 seconds affect the decay curve?

The longer half-life will show a slower decay rate on the graph. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the simulation, if initially there are 100 radioactive atoms, how many should remain after one half-life?

50 atoms (D) Signup and view all the answers

What pattern is expected in the data when recording radioactive atoms over time?

An exponential decay in the number of radioactive atoms. (A) Signup and view all the answers

If the half-life is set to 10 seconds, how many radioactive atoms would be expected after 40 seconds?

6.25 atoms (A) Signup and view all the answers

When performing multiple trials of the experiment, what is the purpose of calculating averages?

To mitigate experimental errors and obtain a reliable value. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In how many seconds does one complete half-life occur if the half-life is set to 10 seconds?

10 seconds (B) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the relationship between the number of radioactive atoms and the number of daughter atoms throughout the simulation?

Radioactive atoms decrease while daughter atoms increase. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of selecting Theoretical decay in the simulation?

To accurately measure half-life using controlled conditions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

When using the Half-life probe, what are you measuring?

The time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What could be a possible conclusion from observing the decay graph of Isotope A?

The decay pattern follows an exponential model. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How is half-life typically expressed in terms of time?

As the time required for a specific fraction of atoms to decay. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary objective when measuring radioactive decay in the simulation?

To observe the theoretical decay model's impact on half-life calculations. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which isotopes would have similar half-lives?

Different isotopes with the same number of protons. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What information is conveyed by the percentages of radioactive atoms remaining after each half-life?

The number of decay events experienced. (C) Signup and view all the answers

When using the Half-life Gizmo to model the decay of Carbon-14, how is the half-life represented?

With a user-defined setting in simulation. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What assumption can be made about the number of atoms and the half-life based on the Gizmo exploration?

The number of atoms has no impact on the measured half-life. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does a half-life of approximately 6 seconds represent in the context of Carbon-14?

It is equivalent to 6,000 years in real terms. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What would be the expected result if the half-life probe measures a longer half-life during the experiment?

The sample has undergone more decay cycles. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which material would likely yield a younger radiocarbon dating result based on the proportions provided?

Mayan headdress with 79% remaining. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the half-life simulation, which is the primary purpose of copying and pasting the graph images?

To document and label measurements for assessment. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Radioactive and daughter atoms change rate

The number of radioactive atoms decreases by half during each half-life, while the number of daughter atoms increases by the same amount. This ensures a balanced equation for conservation of mass and number of atoms.

How does half-life affect decay?

A shorter half-life means the substance decays more quickly, leading to a steeper decay curve. A longer half-life results in a slower decay, creating a more gradual curve.

Half-life demonstrated in data

Every 10 seconds, the number of radioactive atoms is halved, illustrating the concept of half-life, where half of the radioactive material decays in a specific time period.