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1 A liquid-in-glass thermometer has a scale with marks from −10 °C to 110 °C.
A student checks the accuracy of the thermometer.

State the importance of the 0 °C and 100 °C marks on a thermometer scale.

.................................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 1]

2 When an 8.0 g sample of radon decays, it turns into other nuclides, as shown.

4g
other 6g
7g
nuclides other
8g other
nuclides ?
radon nuclides
4g
radon 2g
radon 1 g radon

time = 0 after after after after

one minute two minutes three minutes four minutes

How much radon will there be after four minutes?

A 0 B 0.5 g C 7.5 g D 8.0 g

[1]

[Total: 1]

3 The half-life of radon-220 is 56 s. A sample of radon-220 is in a container. After 112 s the mass

of radon-220 is 9.2 mg.

Calculate the mass of the original sample.

mass = ..................................................... [2]

[Total: 2]

4 A teacher carries out two experiments at the same time.

In the first experiment the count rate for a sample of a radioactive isotope is measured every 30
seconds for 6 minutes.

The results are shown in the table.

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count rate
time / minutes
counts / second

0.0 1246

0.5 1036

1.0 941

1.5 810

2.0 686

2.5 621

3.0 550

3.5 468

4.0 421

4.5 368

5.0 318

5.5 280

6.0 242

(a) Estimate the half-life of the radioactive isotope. Use the information in the table.

half-life = .............................................. minutes [1]

(b) In the second experiment the teacher repeats the procedure with another sample of the same
radioactive isotope. The mass of the second sample is greater than that of the first sample.

Suggest a value for the count rate for this sample at the start of the experiment.

count rate = .............................................. counts / second [1]

[Total: 2]
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5 The diagram shows a cold plastic spoon that has just been placed in hot liquid in a cup.

The cup contains 150 g of liquid of specific heat capacity 4.2 J / (g °C). When the cold spoon is
placed into the hot liquid, the temperature of the liquid decreases from 80 °C to 56 °C.

Calculate the loss of thermal energy from the liquid.

energy loss = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]
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6 A bimetallic strip is made from two metals, brass and invar, stuck together. A student clamps the
bimetallic strip, as shown in the figure, and heats the end.

clamp invar

brass
clamp stand
heat

When the bimetallic strip is heated, the brass expands more than the invar. The bimetallic strip
bends.

Suggest how the bimetallic strip may be used to measure temperature. Include the idea of fixed
points.

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.................................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

7 The diagram shows the decay curve for a radioactive material.

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(a) Use information from the graph to determine the half-life of the material. Clearly show how
you used the graph to obtain your answer.

half-life = .............................................. minutes [3]

(b) Another radioactive material with the same half-life has an initial count rate of 600 counts / min.
On the diagram sketch the decay curve for this material.

[1]

[Total: 4]
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8 A radiation detector in a laboratory records a reading of 10 counts / min. There are no radioactive
samples in the laboratory.

Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5700 years. There are atoms of carbon-14 in all living organisms.

An archaeologist digs up some ancient wood. In the laboratory, a sample of this ancient wood gives
a reading of 20 counts / min. An equivalent sample of living wood gives a reading of 80 counts / min.
It is suggested that the age of the ancient sample is 11 400 years.

Do a calculation to check whether this suggestion is correct.

[4]

[Total: 4]