Video Transcript
Which of the following most
correctly describes the release of radioactive material in nuclear weapon tests? (A) Most of the radioactive
material released travels around the world. (B) All of the radioactive material
released does not travel very far from the test site. (C) Most of the radioactive
material released does not travel very far from the test site, but some of it
travels around the world.
The question asks what happens
after a nuclear weapon’s test to the radioactive material that is released when the
weapon explodes. During a nuclear weapon test, a
cloud of radioactive material is released into the atmosphere. Most of this material is heavy
enough that it will fall to Earth within a fairly small distance from where the
weapon exploded.
However, a small amount of the
radioactive material consists of very tiny pieces, like grains of dust. Very tiny pieces of radioactive
material can be carried by wind currents. Wind currents can transport very
tiny pieces of radioactive material over very great distances.
So, the correct answer is option
(C), since a small part of the radioactive material is carried around Earth by wind
currents. But most of the radioactive
material falls to Earth, much nearer to where the weapon exploded.
