SPH3UE-E1 Nuclear Energy Day 14 Ast 3.

5
Teacher: Dr. Deol Marks: /35

1. What is half-life? [1 mark]

2. Give the value of x and y in each of the following equations: [4 marks]

X= y= X= y=

X= y= X=

X=
3. Using the graph to the right to answer the
following questions. [5]
a) What is the half-life of each element?
A:__________ C: _________
b) Which element has the shortest half-life? ___
c) Which element is the most unstable? How do
you know?

4. Use the table on the right to answer the following

questions.[3]
a) How long is a half-life for carbon-14? _______

b) If only 25% of the carbon-14 remains, what fraction of

the new material is formed? ______

c) If a sample originally had 160 atoms of carbon-14, how

many atoms will remain after 16,110 years? _______
SPH3UE-E1 Nuclear Energy Day 14 Ast 3.5
Teacher: Dr. Deol Marks: /35
Table: The decay of potassium-40
5. Volcanic rocks can be dated using the potassium-40
clock, a dating method based on the decay of the
potassium-40 isotope into the daughter isotope argon-
40. The age of volcanic rock can be measured by
comparing the amount of these two isotopes present in
the rock. Use the table of data on the half-life of
potassium-40.
Use this information to create a decay curve for
Potassium-40 and Argon-40 on the same grid. [5 marks]
You can either use Number of Half-lives or Elapsed time on the x-axis
Your graph should have a legend for both the curves

What does the point of intersection of the curves indicate? [1]

SPH3UE-E1 Nuclear Energy Day 14 Ast 3.5
Teacher: Dr. Deol Marks: /35

6. Ontario’s Pickering nuclear power plant will reach the end of its life in 2024 or 2025 depending on
political decisions. When this reactor shuts down, where will Ontario obtain the generating capacity
needed to meet electrical demand? What will be done to the plant, a source of radioactivity? Engineers
and designers now put a lot of thought into what should be done with the products they design when
they reach the end of their product life cycle.
Write a paragraph on what can be done to old nuclear reactors? [6]

7. Answer the question from It’s Your Decision FOOD RADIATION from today’s lesson [10 marks]
Attach another page for the 500-750 word report.