The following questions are designed to give you practice using tables and learn more about the chemical and physical characteristics of plutonium. These questions are based on the table entitled Important Plutonium Isotopes Radiological Properties. We recommend printing out this worksheet to make it easier to work with.
1. What are the units used in the table for the half-life of the isotopes?
2. What is the half-life of Pu-242? ______________ in scientific notation? (For help see the Scientific Notation page.)
3. Which of the plutonium isotopes presented in the table has the longest half-life?
4. What is the specific activity of Pu-238 in curies/gram? __________________________
5. (a) What is the specific activity of Pu-238 in curies/kilogram? (b) in scientific notation?
6. (a) How many curies are there in one tonne of pure Pu-238? (b) in scientific notation?
7. (a) How many curies are there in one tonne of pure Pu-239? (b) in scientific notation?
8. Which isotope of plutonium is more radioactive per unit mass (gram), Pu-238 or Pu-239?
9. What is the specific activity of Pu-242 in bequerels/gram? (For help with bequerels, see the Unit Conversion page.)
Institute for Energy and
Environmental Research
Comments to Outreach Coordinator, Pat Ortmeyer: ieer@ieer.org
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
Last Updated April 17, 1996