1

1 A beam that consists of both α-particles and β-particles is passed through a region of space where
there is a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of the beam.

State two ways in which the deflection of the α-particles differs from that of the β-particles.

1. ..............................................................................................................................................

2. .............................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

2 Carbon-14 is radioactive with a half-life of 5700 years.

An animal bone is dug up in an archaeological excavation. The quantity of carbon-14 in the bone
is 25% of what it was when the bone was buried.

Calculate the time that has elapsed since it was buried.

time = .............................................. years [2]

[Total: 2]

3 Astatine-210 is a radioactive material. It has a half-life of 8 hours.

The mass of a sample of astatine-210 is 0.500 kg.

Calculate how long it takes for 0.375 kg of the sample to decay.

decay time = .............................................. hours [3]

[Total: 3]
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4 Astatine-210 is a radioactive material. It has a half-life of 8 hours.

The count rate of a sample of astatine-210 is measured over 24 hours.

On the diagram, sketch a line to show how the count rate changes over the 24 hours.

[2]

[Total: 2]

5 The half-life of iridium-194 is 19 hours. A sample of iridium-194 has an initial count-rate of

1100 counts / min.

Calculate the count-rate from this sample after 38 hours.

count-rate = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

6 State two ways in which γ-emission differs from β-emission.

1 ...............................................................................................................................................

2 ............................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 2]
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7 Scientists use carbon-14 to estimate the age of wood that is very old.
8
A very old sample of wood contains 1.0 × 10 carbon-14 atoms.
8
When the sample was new, it contained 8.0 × 10 carbon-14 atoms.

The half-life of carbon-14 is 5700 years.

Estimate the age of the sample of wood.

age of wood = .............................................. years [3]

[Total: 3]
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8 Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen. It can be represented by .

The graph shows how the activity of a sample of tritium varies with time.

Use the graph to calculate the half-life of tritium. Show clearly how you used the graph.

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

[Total: 3]

9 A sample of rock includes some uranium-239.

The half-life of uranium-239 is 23 minutes.

Determine the fraction of the uranium-239 that remains after 46 minutes.

fraction remaining = .............................................. [2]

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[Total: 2]

10 When the nucleus of a uranium atom decays, it releases a β-particle.

Describe the relative ionising effect, and the relative penetrating ability, of a β-particle.

relative ionising effect ..............................................................................................................

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

relative penetrating ability ........................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

11 A detector of ionising radiation measures the background count rate in a classroom where there
are no radioactive samples present.

The readings, in counts / minute, taken over a period of time are shown in the table.

counts / minute 16 12 14 16 15 17

State two possible sources of this background radiation.

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

12 A detector of ionising radiation measures the background count rate in a classroom where there
are no radioactive samples present.

The readings, in counts / minute, taken over a period of time are shown in the table.

counts / minute 16 12 14 16 15 17

Explain why the readings are not the same.

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

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

[Total: 1]
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13 With no radioactive sample present, a scientist records a background radiation count of

40 counts / minute.

The scientist brings a radioactive sample close to the detector. The count rate increases to 200
counts / minute.

After 24 days the count rate is 50 counts / minute.

Calculate the half-life of the radioactive sample.

half-life = .............................................. [4]

[Total: 4]

14 Thorium-234 ( ) is radioactive. It decays by β-emission to form an isotope of protactinium

(Pa).

(a) A pure sample of thorium-234 emits β-particles at a count rate of 2480 counts/second. The
half-life of thorium-234 is 24 days.

Calculate the count rate for the emission of β-particles from the thorium in the sample after
72 days have passed.

count rate .............................................. [3]

(b) The isotope of protactinium produced by the decay of Thorium-234 is also radioactive. It decays
by β-emission and has a half-life of 70 seconds.

State and explain how this would affect the observed count rate for the sample in (a) after
72 days.

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

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

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

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

[Total: 6]
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15 A radioactive sample is placed close to a detector. The radioactive isotope in the sample has a
long half-life. The detector records a count rate of 597 counts / s.

The table shows the readings when different materials are placed between the radioactive sample
and the detector.

material

a sheet of paper 602

a piece of thin aluminium 598

a piece of thin lead 510

Explain whether any α-particles, β-particles or γ-rays are emitted by the radioactive sample.

α-particles ................................................................................................................................

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

β-particles ................................................................................................................................

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

γ-rays .......................................................................................................................................

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

[Total: 3]

16 Radioactive decay may include the emission of:

α-radiation

β-radiation

γ-radiation

(a) From the list, state the type of radiation which has the greatest ionising effect.

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

(b) From the list, state the type of radiation which has the lowest penetrating ability.

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

[Total: 2]
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17 State two safety precautions when handling sources that emit gamma radiation.

1 ...............................................................................................................................................

2 ............................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 2]

18 A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 6.0 years.

A sample of this isotope has a mass of 12 mg.

Calculate the mass of this isotope that remains in the sample after 18 years.

mass remaining = .............................................. mg [3]

[Total: 3]

19 A radioactive isotope decays by emitting a β-particle.

(a) Describe the nature of a β-particle.

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

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Describe how the nucleus of the isotope changes due to the emission of a β-particle.

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

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

[Total: 3]

20 Describe the penetrating ability of α-particles.

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

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

[Total: 1]
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21 Explain why it is dangerous to swallow a source that emits α-particles.

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

22 Explain why γ-rays are dangerous to living things.

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

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

23 In a factory, rollers press aluminium metal to make thin foil sheets. An automatic system for
controlling the thickness of the foil used a radioactive source. The automatic system changes the
gap between the top and bottom roller. The diagram shows the equipment.
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(a) Use your ideas about the properties of radiation to suggest and explain the type of radiation
used.

type of radiation ................................................................................................................

explanation .......................................................................................................................

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

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

........................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) The aluminium foil passing the radiation detector is too thin. Describe how this fault affects
the reading on the counter.

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

(c) Suggest how the fault in (b) is corrected. State what happens to the rollers.

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

(d) The source used is strontium-90. A nucleus of strontium-90 can be described as

State the number of protons in a nucleus of strontium-90.

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

[Total: 5]

24 State the type of radioactive emission that causes the proton number of a nuclide to increase
by 1.

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

[Total: 1]

25 State the type of radioactive emission that causes the nucleon number of a nuclide to decrease
by 4.

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

[Total: 1]
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26 State the type of radioactive emission that causes no change in the proton number and no change
in the nucleon number of a nuclide.

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

[Total: 1]

27 The isotope radon-220 is radioactive and it decays by α-particle emission.

The diagram shows a beam of α-particles entering the electric field between two charged plates.

On the diagram, sketch the path that the beam of α-particles follows in the electric field. [1]

[Total: 1]

28 The isotope radon-220 is radioactive.

The half-life of radon-220 is 56 s.

6
A sample of this isotope contains 7.2 × 10 atoms.

Predict the number of α-particles that the radon-220 in the sample emits in the next 168 s.

number of α-particles emitted = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]
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29 A nucleus of uranium-235 undergoes nuclear fission in a nuclear reactor.

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

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

30 Thorium is radioactive and has a half-life of 26 hours. At a certain time, a pure sample of this isotope
9
initially contains 4.8 × 10 atoms.

Calculate the number of atoms of this sample that decay in the following 52 hours.

number = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

31 Radon-222 is radioactive and has a half-life of 3.8 days.

6
At a certain time, a sample contains 6.4 × 10 radon nuclei.

Calculate the number of α-particles emitted by the radon nuclei in the following 7.6 days.

number = ..................................... [3]

[Total: 3]
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32 Radon-222 is radioactive.

A radon-222 nucleus decays by α-particle emission to a polonium (Po) nucleus.

Complete the equation for the decay of radon-222.

→

[2]

[Total: 2]

33 The diagram shows a radioactive source placed close to a radiation detector and counter. The
detector can detect α, β and γ radiation.

The radioactive source emits β-particles only.

Describe how you could show that the source emits β-particles only.
As part of your answer, you may draw on the diagram and add any other apparatus you may need.

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

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

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

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

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

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

.................................................................................................................................................. [4]

[Total: 4]

34 To ensure the safety of workers in laboratories where radioactive sources are used, describe how
radioactive materials:
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(a) should be stored

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

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

(b) should be handled.

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

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

[Total: 2]

35 State the type of radiation emitted when a phosphorus nucleus ( ) decays into a silicon nucleus
( ).

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

[Total: 1]

36 State the type of radiation emitted when an americium nucleus ( ) decays into a neptunium
nucleus ( ).

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

[Total: 1]

37 Complete the table for three types of emission from radioactive sources.

type of emission nature range in air absorbed by

electromagnetic radiation several km

helium nucleus 0.2 mm paper

electron

[3]

[Total: 3]
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38 Which row describes the behaviour of -rays in an electric field and in a magnetic field?

electric field magnetic field

A deflected deflected
B deflected undeflected
C undeflected deflected
D undeflected undeflected

[1]

[Total: 1]

39 Radioactive carbon-14 decays to nitrogen-14 by the emission of a particle.

Which particle has been emitted in this process?

A a -particle

B an -particle
C a neutron
D a proton
[1]

[Total: 1]
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40 The rate of emission of a radioactive source is measured until the reading reaches the
background rate of 20 counts per minute.

The results are shown.

200
190
180
rate of emission
170
counts / minute
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time / minute

What is the best estimate of the half-life of the source?

A 10 minutes
B 12 minutes
C 14 minutes
D 30 minutes
[1]

[Total: 1]