RSO Radiation Physics and Fundamentals 2

Question 1

The traditional unit of radioactivity is the Curie (Ci). One Curie is defined as:

Accepted Answer

3.7 × 10^10 disintegrations per second

Answer

One Curie equals 3.7 × 10^10 disintegrations per second, based on the activity of one gram of radium-226.

Question 2

In electron capture decay, the nucleus captures an orbital electron and emits:

Accepted Answer

A neutrino and characteristic X-rays

Answer

During electron capture, a proton combines with the captured electron to form a neutron, emitting a neutrino; the resulting electron vacancy produces characteristic X-rays.

Question 3

The specific activity of a radioactive material is defined as:

Accepted Answer

Activity per unit mass

Answer

Specific activity is the radioactivity per unit mass of a radionuclide or radioactive material, typically expressed as Ci/g or Bq/g.

Question 4

Which of the following radionuclides is a pure beta emitter with no associated gamma radiation?

Accepted Answer

H-3 (Tritium)

Answer

Tritium (H-3) decays by beta-minus emission with a very low-energy beta and produces no gamma radiation, making external dose a minor concern but internal uptake significant.

Question 5

The mean free path of a photon in a material is best described as:

Accepted Answer

The average distance a photon travels before interacting

Answer

Mean free path is the average distance a photon travels in a medium before undergoing an interaction such as photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering, or pair production.

RSO - Radiation Safety Officer Practice Test

RSO - Radiation Safety Officer Practice Test

RSO Radiation Physics and Fundamentals 2