Radioactive Elements Trivia Quiz

Answer: Technetium

Technetium was the first element to be produced synthetically. It is atomic number 43 of the periodic table. When constructing the periodic table in the late 1800s, scientists were only able to speculate about an element that fell between elements 42 (Molybdenum) and 44 (Ruthenium).

In 1937, the existence of technetium was finally confirmed by Italian scientists Carlo Perrier and Emilio Segre. All of the known isotopes of technetium are radioactive and only a trace amount of the element exists naturally on Earth.

Answer: Tritium

A normal hydrogen atom is comprised of one proton and one electron, which is the most abundant isotope. Deuterium is another stable isotope of hydrogen which consists of a proton and a neutron in its nucleus. Tritium is a hydrogen isotope with a single proton and two neutrons in its nucleus. Tritium is radioactive as it undergoes beta decay. Tritium oxide, or tritiated water, is toxic to humans if it's ingested.

Answer: Thorium

The fission of uranium atoms creates heat. The steam that the fission energy produces drives the turbines at nuclear power plants. The isotope uranium-235 is normally used as the source of fuel for a nuclear reactor. Thorium can be found naturally on Earth and has also been used as fuel for nuclear reactors. Atoms of thorium-232 are able to absorb a neutron which turns them into atoms of uranium-233.

The uranium-233 then undergoes nuclear fission supplying the energy needed to drive the turbines.

Answer: Radon

Radon is atomic number 86 and is one of the noble gases of the periodic table. It is a colorless and odorless gas that is the byproduct of the radioactive decay of uranium. Radon itself is radioactive. Its most stable isotope, radon-222, has a half-life of less than four days. Radon has been described as the second highest cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon detectors are sold in home improvement/hardware stores.

Answer: Americium

Americium is element number 95 of the periodic table. It was named after America and was first discovered in 1944 by scientists at the University of California in Berkeley. Americium is a radioactive element that releases alpha particles as it decays.

A very small amount of americium is used in smoke detectors. When smoke is present it absorbs the alpha particles emitted by the americium, which triggers the alarm.

Answer: Germanium

Polonium, atomic number 84, is a radioactive metallic element. It was named after the nation of Poland, home of Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered it. Francium, atomic number 87, is a highly radioactive element. The most stable isotopes of francium only last a few minutes before they start to decay. Francium was named after France. Nihonium, atomic number 113, is a super-heavy element which was synthesized in 2003.

It is named after the nation of Japan. Atoms of nihonium last only a few seconds before decaying. Germanium, atomic number 32, is one of the metalloids and is a stable element.

Answer: Helium

An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons. It is basically the ionized nucleus of a helium atom without any electrons. An alpha particle is one of the by-products of radioactive decay. A beta particle is an electron or positron that gets ejected from the atom after one of its protons or neutrons changed into a neutron or proton.

Answer: Tennessine

Tennessine is another super-heavy element. Atoms of tennessine will only last a fraction of a second before decaying. It is atomic number 117 and one of four super-heavy elements to receive official names in late 2016. Science teams at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University contributed to the element's discovery. Both institutions are located in Tennessee, the state for which the element is named.

Answer: Mendelevium

Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian scientist and the person credited with creating the periodic table that we know today. In 1955, scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California discovered element number 101. They named it Mendelevium after Dmitri Mendeleev.

It is a metallic element, but is very unstable. Its most stable isotope, mendelevium-258, has a half-life of 51 days.

Answer: Neutrons

Carbon is an element that is essential for organic chemistry. The carbon-12 atom is the most stable isotope, consisting of six protons, six neutrons and six electrons. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon, consisting of six protons and eight neutrons. Carbon-14 undergoes beta decay and it is used to measure the age of fossils.