Predict Which of the Following Isotopes Has the Best Chance

question 24

Multiple Choice

Predict which of the following isotopes has the best chance of being radioactive?

• A) Krypton-84
• B) Thorium-232
• C) Iron-56
• D) Zirconium-92
• E) All have an equal chance of being radioactive.

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Definitions:

Neutrons

Electrically neutral subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom, contributing to the atomic mass but not the atomic charge.

Protons

Positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom, contributing to the atom's mass and defining its element by determining the atomic number.

Isotope

An isotope refers to one of two or more forms of an element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in the nucleus, resulting in different atomic masses but similar chemical properties.

Element

A substance consisting of atoms which all have the same number of protons, fundamentally the simplest substances that cannot be broken down using chemical methods.