Question detail
What does the term 'half-life' refer to in radioactive decay?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Atoms and nuclear radiation
Question
- A. The time taken for the mass of a sample to halve.
- B. The time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei to halve.
- C. The time taken for the radiation emitted to halve.
- D. The time taken for the temperature of a sample to halve.
Answer
The correct answer is B: The time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei to halve..
Explanation
The correct answer is B: The time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei to halve.. This supports the learning objective "Explain why it is impossible to predict when an individual unstable nucleus will decay." in Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay because it uses the correct atomic and nuclear radiation relationship for Atoms and nuclear radiation. The other options are less suitable because they do not match the required Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay idea: The time taken for the mass of a sample to halve.; The time taken for the radiation emitted to halve.; The time taken for the temperature of a sample to halve..
Common mistake
Misunderstanding Predictability in Radioactive Decay
Students often believe that the decay of an individual unstable nucleus can be predicted based on its characteristics.
Emphasize that radioactive decay is a random process, and while the half-life can be determined for a large sample, the exact moment an individual nucleus will decay cannot be predicted.
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