Examples                            Answers

1.  a.  What do different isotopes of a given element have in common?

     b.  How are they different?

2.  Why are the atomic masses of many elements (see the periodic table) not close to whole numbers?

3.  How do we know there is such a thing as the strong nuclear force?

4.  What are the similarities and the differences between the strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic force?

 

5.  Describe the difference between alpha, beta, and gamma rays

 

6.  An isotope has a half-life of one month. After two months, will a given sample of this isotope have completely decayed? If not, how much remains?

 

7.  Why are none of the elements with z > 92 stable?