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Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry self-test # 19

Comprises Chapter 19

This is a self grading test of your knowledge. It consists of 20 randomly chosen questions with single or multiple answers. The questions with single answers have round buttons and the questions with perhaps more than one correct answer have square buttons. Answer the questions by clicking on the corresponding button in the list of alternative answers. On questions with a single answer (round buttons to click on), it is only possible to mark one of the alternative answers as correct.
Grading of the completed test is automatic when you click on the button marked "GRADE MY ANSWERS" at the end of the test.
Correct answers can be read by clicking on the button having the same number as the question. You find these buttons at the end of the test. You can also refresh your memory first by jumping directly to the answer buttons and click on them to get answers and read relevant parts of the book before doing this test.
On the questions with one or more possible answers (squares to click on) only the first click on each button is recorded as an answer. Hence you must click on the reset button below the question before you can change the original answer(s). Failure to do this will probably make the answers on this question regarded as wrong in the grading process.
Please observe that your teacher may require a deeper understanding of the treated subject than reflected by this test. In case you have any valuable comments or questions regarding this self-test, explain them in an e-mail to: jol@nc.chalmers.se


Question # 1 (One answer) What is the abbreviation for the most common nuclear power reactor

    A) AGR
    B) BWR
    C) GCR
    D) HPWR
    E) LMFBR
    F) PWR
    G) RBMK

Question # 2 (One answer) When newly formed particles from a nuclear reaction can be used to propagate the reaction indefinitely it is called

    A) a subcritical assembly
    B) an accelerator driven system
    C) a beta-burner
    D) a radioisotope generator
    E) a nuclear chain reacting system

Question # 3 (One answer) The central part in a nuclear reactor is normally called the

    A) assembly
    B) core
    C) head
    D) pile
    E) vessel

Question # 4 (Answer in Table form) The Figure below shows a simplified diagram of a PWR. Mark corresponding names and letters in the Table to the left of the Figure

A

B

C

D

E

F

G
Condenser
Control rods
Core with fuel
Reactor vessel
Pressurizer
Steam generator
Turbine

 

 

Question # 5 (One answer) A typical LWR fuel rod normally contains

    A) graphite springs
    B) uranium slugs
    C) boron carbide
    D) a central hole
    E) fuel pellets

Question # 6 (One or more answers) Depending on the arrangement of fuel and moderator a nuclear reactor can be

    A) homogeneous
    B) supercharged
    C) hypertrophic
    D) heterogeneous
    E) heterodyne

In case of an error in the answers above, please click on this button before making any corrections 

Question # 7 (Answer in Tabular form) The decay chain that can cause xenon poisoning of a nuclear reactor contains five nuclides which form an isobar chain. Mark the order of respective element in this chain in the Table below beginning with the most neutron rich one.

order in chain
Element 1 2 3 4 5
Ba
Cs
I
Te
Xe

Question # 8 (One answer) The only nuclide existing naturally on Earth that can fission with thermal neutron is an isotope of

    A) thorium
    B) protactinium
    C) uranium
    D) neptunium
    E) plutonium

Question # 9 (One answer) An element which only contain one or more non-fissile isotopes which, however, can be turned into fissile nuclides in a nuclear reactor is called a

    A) barren element
    B) fertile element
    C) pregnant element
    D) senile element
    E) young element

Question # 10 (One or more answers) Which of the following factors are part of Fermi's reactor equation, also called the four factor formula?

    A) the fast fission factor
    B) the thermal utilization factor
    C) the resonance escape probability
    D) the slowing down power
    E) the neutron yield per absorption

In case of an error in the answers above, please click on this button before making any corrections 

Question # 11 (One answer) During any phase of reactor operations it is very important to be sure that the reactor never is

    A) subcritical
    B) prompt critical
    C) critical
    D) supercritical
    E) neutron deficient

Question # 12 (One answer) The energy production in a PWR is normally regulated by operating

    A) the moderator
    B) the steam generator
    C) the control rods
    D) the gnomes
    E) the feed water pumps

Question # 13 (One answer) The production of an excess of fissile material by reactor operation is called

    A) converting
    B) breeding
    C) seeding
    D) farming
    E) harvesting

Question # 14 (One or more answers) Because reactors have neutrons of more than one energy it is not practical to use the tabulated cross sections for 2200 m/s in calculations. One should therefore use

    A) effective cross sections
    B) epithermal cross sections
    C) fast cross sections
    D) the resonance integral
    E) improper cross sections

In case of an error in the answers above, please click on this button before making any corrections 

Question # 15 (One answer) The neutron cross sections at low energy often vary in the same way with neutron energy. They are then said to obey the

    A) uncertainty relation
    B) fertility criterion
    C) superposition principle
    D) law of smallest resistance
    E) 1/v law

Question # 16 (One answer) The unit for neutron flux in the SI-system is

    A) Bq 
    B) m2/s 
    C) s-1m-2 
    D) m/s
    E) J

Question # 17 (Answers in Tabular form) Pure 235U has the cross sections found in the Table below. Mark in the Table which values correspond to which type of cross section (fast data refer to 1 MeV neutrons)

cross section (b)
Type 0.11 1.19 98.6 582.2
Thermal capture
Thermal fission
Fast capture
Fast fission

Question # 18 (One answer) The fossile reactors at Oklo were discovered by finding that

    A) some ore samples contained 244Pu
    B) several workers from the mine contained radioactive strontium
    C) some of the uranium was depleted in 235U
    D) too many uranium batches contained neodymium
    E) neptunium from the mine was leaking into the sea

Question # 19 (One or more answers) The boron concentration in the water in a PWR can be controlled by using

    A) evaporators
    B) transformers
    C) anion exchangers
    D) cation exchangers
    E) neutrons

In case of an error in the answers above, please click on this button before making any corrections 

Question # 20 (Answers in Tabular form) Mark in the Table below which full name corresponds to which shorthand notation

AGR BWR PWR PHWR
Boiling reactor water
Advanced gas cooled reactor
Pressurized heavy water reactor
Pressurized water reactor

Correct answers to each question can be obtained by clicking on the corresponding button below

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(Updated 2001-08-25)