1.

In the atomic model, an atom consists of a central mass, orbited by much smaller
particles.

What is the name of the central mass and of the orbiting particles?

2
2. Nuclear fusion is a reaction that takes place in stars.
Which row describes this reaction?

3. The diagram shows emissions from a source passing into the electric field between
two charged plates.

What is emitted by this source?

A neutrons and ᵧ rays only
B α particles and β particles only
C αparticles and ᵧrays only
D βparticles and ᵧrays only
4. The graph shows how the count rate registered by a counter near to a sample of a
radioactive isotope changes over a period of a few days. The background count rate is
5 counts per minute.

3
 What is the half-life of the isotope?

A 2.0 days B 2.5 days C 3.0 days D 4.0 days

5. Which row gives the relative charge of an electron, a neutron and a proton?

6. A nuclide of element X undergoes -decay.

Which statement is correct?

A The nucleon number increases by 1.

B The nucleon number stays the same.
C The product is another nuclide of an isotope of X.
D The proton number decreases by 1.
7. A sample of radioactive isotope is decaying.
The nuclei of which atoms will decay first?
A It is impossible to know because radioactive decay is random.
B It is impossible to know unless the age of the material is known.
C The atoms near the centre will decay first because they are surrounded by more
atoms.

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 D The atoms near the surface will decay first because the radiation can escape more
easily.
8. A detector of ionising radiation gives a background reading of 20 counts / minute.
A radioactive isotope with a half-life of 2.0 days is brought near to the detector. The
reading on the detector increases to 100 counts / minute.
How long does it take for the reading on the detector to decrease to 40 counts /
minute?

A 2.0 days B 4.0 days C 5.0 days D 10 days

9. The diagram shows a shaded area where the direction of a magnetic field is into the
page. A beam of β-particles enters the field as shown.

In which direction is the beam of β-particles deflected as they enter the magnetic
field?
A into the page
B out of the page
C down the page
D up the page
10. A very important experiment increased scientists’ understanding of the structure of
matter.In the experiment, particles scattered as they passed through a thin metal foil.
Which particles were used, and to which conclusion did the experiment lead?

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11. Below are the symbols for five different nuclides.

Which two nuclides are isotopes of the same element?

A nuclide 1 and nuclide 2

B nuclide 2 and nuclide 3
C nuclide 2 and nuclide 5
D nuclide 4 and nuclide 5

12. A radioactive decay can be represented as shown.

The equation is incomplete.

In this decay, the nucleus changes by

A absorbing a neutron.
B absorbing a proton.
C emitting an α-particle.
D emitting a β-particle.
13. The graph shows how the decay rate of a radioactive source changes with time.

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 What will be the decay rate at 8 days?

A 0 decays / s
B 125 decays / s
C 250 decays / s
D 500 decays / s

14. Which row gives the properties of the radiation from radioactive materials?

15.

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1 Radon-222 is radioactive. It can be represented as 222 86Rn

(a) For a neutral atom of radon-222, state

1. the number of protons, ...........................
2. the number of neutrons, ...........................
3. the number of electrons. ...........................
(b) A radon-222 nucleus decays by α-particle emission to a polonium (Po) nucleus.
Complete the equation for the decay of radon-222.

22286 Rn

(c) Radon-222 has a half-life of 3.8 days.

At a certain time, a sample contains 6.4 × 106 radon nuclei.
Calculate the number of α-particles emitted by the radon nuclei in the following 7.6
days.

number = .........................................

2 (a) A radioactive nucleus of uranium-235 decays to a nucleus of thorium and emits

. an α-particle.
Complete the equation.

(b) A nucleus of uranium-235 undergoes nuclear fission in a reactor.

(i) State what is meant by nuclear fission.

..............................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................................................

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 (ii) Suggest why a nuclear reactor is surrounded by thick concrete walls.

...............................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................................

(iii) State one environmental advantage and one environmental disadvantage of

using a fission reactor to generate electrical energy in a power station.

advantage ......................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

disadvantage .................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

(c) The thorium produced by the decay in (a) is also radioactive and has a half-life of
26 hours. At a certain time, a pure sample of this isotope initially contains
4.8 × 109 atoms. Calculate the number of atoms of this sample that decay in the
following 52 hours.

number = ................................................

3 (a) A radioactive source is tested over a number of hours with a radiation detector.
The readings are shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1
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 Use the readings to suggest a value for the background count rate during the test, and
to determine the half-life of the sample.

background count rate = ...................................................

half-life of sample = ...........................................................

(b) Hydrogen-3 (tritium) has one proton and two neutrons. The nucleon number of
tritium is three. It decays by emitting a β-particle.
Complete the nuclide equation to show this decay. The symbol X represents the
nuclide produced by this decay.

(c) The arrows in Fig. 3.1 show the paths of three α-particles moving towards gold
nuclei in a thin foil.

Fig. 3.1

On Fig. 3.1, complete the paths of the three α-particles.

4 Bismuth-214 is radioactive. It has a half-life of 20 minutes.

214
. (a) The nuclide notation for bismuth-214 is
83Bi

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 State the composition of the nucleus of bismuth-214.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

(b) Bismuth-214 decays by β-decay to an isotope of polonium, Po.

Complete the equation for the decay of bismuth-214.

(c) The count rate from a sample of bismuth-214 is 360 counts / s.

Predict the count rate from the sample after 60 minutes.

count rate = .....................................

State two of the social, economic or environmental issues involved in the storage of
radioactive materials with very long half-lives.
(d)
.........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

5
. (a) State the nature of γ-rays.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

(b) A beam of α-particles and β-particles passes, in a vacuum, between the poles of a
strong magnet.

187
 Compare the deflections of the paths of the two types of particle.
.....................................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................

(c) A beam of β-particles passes, in a vacuum, through the electric field between a
pair of oppositely charged metal plates.
Describe the path of the particles.
........................................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................

(d) The nuclear equation shows the decay of an isotope of polonium.

(i) State the nature of X.

......................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................

(ii) Calculate the values of A and Z.

A =.................... Z =.....................

6 (a) Complete the table below for the three types of radiation.

90
(b) An isotope of strontium is represented in nuclide notation as 38Sr
For a neutral atom of this isotope, state

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 (i) the proton number, ...............

(ii) the nucleon number, ...............

(iii) the number of neutrons, ...............

(iv) the number of electrons. ...............

(c) A sample of a radioactive material is placed near a radiation detector. A count-

rate of 4800 counts / s is detected from the sample. After 36 hours the count-rate has
fallen to 600 counts / s.
Calculate how many more hours must pass for the count-rate to become 150 counts /
s.

number of hours = ...........................................

7 (a) Complete the following statements.

(i) An α-particle consists of ............................................................................................................... .

(ii) A β-particle consists of ................................................................................................................. .

(b) As α-particles and β-particles pass through a gas, molecules of the gas become
ionised.
Explain what is meant by the ionisation of a gas molecule.

.....................................................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................................................

(c) Fig. 11.1 shows a beam of α-particles and a beam of β-particles in a vacuum. The
beams are about to enter a region in which a very strong magnetic field is acting. The
direction of the magnetic field is into the page.

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 (i) Suggest why the paths of the particles in the magnetic field are curved.

.....................................................................................................................................................................

(ii) Sketch the paths of both types of particle in the magnetic field.
8 There are two stable, naturally occurring isotopes of hydrogen.
. Common hydrogen (hydrogen-1) has a proton number of 1 and a nucleon
number of 1.
Hydrogen-2 (deuterium) has a nucleon number of 2.
There is also a radioactive isotope of hydrogen called tritium (hydrogen-3), with a
nucleon number of 3.
(a) Complete the table for neutral atoms of these isotopes.

(b) Two samples of tritium are stored in aluminium containers of different thickness.
Sample 1 is in a container of thickness 0.5 mm and radiation can be detected coming
through the container.
Sample 2 is in a container of thickness 5 mm and no radiation comes through.
(i) State the type of radiation coming through the container of Sample 1.

........................................................................................................................................................................

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(ii) Explain your answer to (b)(i).
........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

(c) Under conditions of extremely high temperature and pressure, as in the interior
of the Sun, hydrogen nuclei can join together.

(i) Name this process.

........................................................................................................................................................................

(ii) State whether energy is released, absorbed or neither released nor absorbed
during this reaction.

........................................................................................................................................................................

(d) When a nucleus of a certain isotope of uranium is bombarded by a suitable

neutron, it splits into two smaller nuclei and energy is released.
Name this process.

........................................................................................................................................................................

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