A key advantage of using short half-life isotopes in medical imaging is that:

they reduce long-term exposure because they decay away quickly

they make shielding unnecessary

Which is a common medical use of radioactivity?

diagnostic imaging using radiotracers

Which statement best summarises why radioactivity is useful?

it provides measurable emissions that can be used for imaging, treatment, sterilisation, and dating

it eliminates the need for electricity

Alpha decay tends to move a nucleus toward stability by:

reducing both mass number and proton number (helpful for very heavy nuclei)

In a decay chain, the 'daughter' isotope is the one that:

is produced after the parent decays

Radiocarbon dating works primarily because:

carbon-14 decays with a known half-life

Many heavy radioactive nuclei decay in a series because:

the daughter nucleus may still be unstable and decay again

one decay always makes the nucleus perfectly stable

gamma rays change proton number

Why do very heavy nuclei often undergo alpha decay?

because reducing proton number helps reduce electrostatic repulsion

because alpha decay increases their size

because it creates more neutrons

because it stops gamma emission

A common radiation-safety concern with decay chains is that:

some daughters may also be radioactive and contribute additional radiation

the chain changes into a chemical reaction

Beta-minus decay helps a nucleus with too many neutrons by:

turning a neutron into a proton

turning a proton into a neutron

Radioactive Decay Chains Quiz: Test Nuclear Transformation Mind Map

Reviewed by Ekaterina Yukhnovich

Ekaterina Yukhnovich, PhD |

Science Expert

Review Board Member

Ekaterina V. is a physicist and mathematics expert with a PhD in Physics and Mathematics and extensive experience working with advanced secondary and undergraduate-level content. She specializes in combinatorics, applied mathematics, and scientific writing, with a strong focus on accuracy and academic rigor.

, PhD

By Thames

Thames

Community Contributor

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| Attempts: 140 | Questions: 20 | Updated: Mar 13, 2026