Which of the nuclides is most likely radioactive

The curie Ci was the original unit for radioactivity and is equal to 3. Another way to measure how radioactive something is is to investigate its half life , since the half life of a nuclide is related to its radiation risk. One common misconception about radioactivity is that any radioactive object is harmful to human health. This is not the case, however, as small doses of radiation have not been proven to be harmful to humans. In fact, there are many radioactive products that can be purchased and pose no health threats to humans.

Bananas, smoke detectors, some ceramic dishware, cat litter, beer, and brazil nuts are all radioactive. However, in larger doses radiation does have negative effects on health. When radioactive materials decay, they produce ionizing radiation. Simply put, this type of radiation can strip electrons away from atoms or break chemical bonds to make ions. This causes damage to living tissues that cannot always be repaired. Effects from acute exposure to radiation appear quickly, and include burns and radiation poisoning.

The symptoms of radiation poisoning include nausea, weakness, hair loss, and diminished organ function and this radiation sickness can result in death if the dose is high enough. As well, some radiation is only harmful in certain circumstances. For example, smoke detectors generally contain a source of alpha particles known as americium which is radioactive. The americium is used to detect the smoke. In the smoke detector itself, this source is radioactive but not harmful.

However, because of the nature of alpha particles, the Americium is very dangerous if ingested. Smoke detectors save many lives every year, and changing the batteries once a year is a good idea. Dissecting smoke detectors however can be dangerous. Fossil Fuels. Nuclear Fuels. Acid Rain. Climate Change. Climate Feedback. Ocean Acidification. Rising Sea Level. Radioactivity Figure 1. A diagram showing the repulsive Coulomb force within the nucleus along with the attractive strong force.

Additionally, three forms of radioactive decay are shown. July 7, Choose the symbol for the particle that can react with an electron to produce gamma rays.

Online Text [ Hint ] 8. Predict the type of radioactive-decay process for the following radionuclide: Al. Online Text [ Hint ] 9. Which combination of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is most common among the naturally occurring nonradioactive nuclides? Online Text [ Hint ] Which of these nuclides is most likely to be radioactive?

The curie is a measure of the Online Text [ Hint ] What is the product formed from Po by positron emission? Online Text [ Hint ] Answer choices in this exercise are randomized and will appear in a different order each time the page is loaded. Problem Solving Center Homework 2. Online Text [ Hint ]. The curie is a measure of the Online Text [ Hint ]. Answer choices in this exercise are randomized and will appear in a different order each time the page is loaded.