Nuclear physics — IGCSE Physics (0625) questions by topic

A student has four metal containers filled with the same volume of water at a temperature of 80 degrees C. The metal containers are put in a room at a temperature of 20 degrees C.…

The table shows the contribution to background radiation from the four most common sources. source percentage of total background radiation/% --- --- radon gas (in the air) 48…

The unstable nucleus of an element undergoes radioactive decay. The proton number remains unchanged. Which description of this radioactive decay event is correct? A The nucleus…

When they lose electrons, ......1...... form ......2...... charged ......3...... . Which words correctly complete the sentence? 1 2 3 --- --- --- --- A atoms negatively ions B…

An isotope of krypton has an atomic number of 36 and a mass number of 78. What is the number of protons in a krypton nucleus? A 36 B 42 C 78 D 114

A person exposed to excessive radiation from certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is likely to suffer cell damage. Which radiations cause cell damage? A gamma rays and…

A nuclide of nitrogen is represented as 15/7 N (nucleon number 15, proton number 7). What is the number of neutrons in this nuclide? A 7 B 8 C 15 D 22

Which list only includes sources of naturally occurring background radiation? A cosmic rays, radon gas, nuclear power stations B food and drink, mobile phones, cosmic rays C rocks…

A student compares alpha emissions, beta emissions and gamma emissions. Which statement is correct? A Alpha emissions are the most ionising. B Beta emissions are the most…

In school laboratories, radioactive sources are stored in lead-lined boxes. Why is lead used? A Lead neutralises radiation. B Lead absorbs radiation. C Lead repels radiation. D…

The Sun radiates most of its energy in three regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The diagram (a pie chart) shows the proportion of the total energy radiated in each of these…

An ion of the element oxygen is negatively charged. Which change causes the ion to become a neutral oxygen atom? A gain of electrons B gain of protons C loss of electrons D loss…

A nuclide of nitrogen is represented as 15/7 N (nucleon number 15, proton number 7). What is the number of neutrons in this nuclide? A 7 B 8 C 15 D 22

Which list only includes sources of naturally occurring background radiation? A cosmic rays, radon gas, nuclear power stations B food and drink, mobile phones, cosmic rays C rocks…

A student compares alpha emissions, beta emissions and gamma emissions. Which statement is correct? A Alpha emissions are the most ionising. B Beta emissions are the most…

In school laboratories, radioactive sources are stored in lead-lined boxes. Why is lead used? A Lead neutralises radiation. B Lead absorbs radiation. C Lead repels radiation. D…

The diagram shows a black object X at constant temperature. Arrows on the diagram represent the absorption and emission of thermal radiation at the surface (arrows point both…

In an alpha particle scattering experiment, a beam of alpha particles is fired at a very thin piece of gold foil. The beam of alpha particles arrives horizontally from the left…

An atom of boron contains 5 protons and 5 electrons. The nucleon number of the atom is 11. How many neutrons are there in the atom? A 5 B 6 C 11 D 16

A detector placed near a radioactive isotope gives a measured count rate of 800 counts/minute. The half-life of the isotope is three hours. The background count rate is 32…

Sodium-24 is a radioactive isotope that emits beta radiation. Which nuclear equation shows how sodium-24 decays? A (24,11)Na - (24,12)Mg + (0,-1)beta B (24,11)Na - (24,10)Ne +…

Which safety precautions must be taken when using a source of gamma radiation? 1 Reduce the distance between the source and the person. 2 Reduce the time of exposure to the…

Three solid copper spheres, X, Y and Z, are heated to the same temperature. sphere diameter colour of surface --- --- --- X 2d black Y d white Z 2d white Which row gives the order…

When a thin gold foil is bombarded with alpha particles, some alpha particles are deflected through large angles. Which statement explains this deflection? A Most of the atom…

A detector near a radioactive source shows a reading of 2000 counts/minute. How is the corrected count rate determined? A by moving the detector closer to the source B by placing…

Which statement about alpha, beta and gamma radiation is not correct? A Alpha particles are deflected most in an electric field. B Beta particles are deflected most in a magnetic…

A sample of a radioactive material has a half-life of 20 minutes. Which statement is correct? A After 30 minutes, less than half of the material has decayed. B After 40 minutes,…

Four different surfaces are at the same high temperature. Which surface emits thermal radiation at the slowest rate? colour of surface texture of surface surface area / cm^2 ---…

A beta particle has less mass than an alpha particle, but the speed of a beta particle emitted during radioactive decay is approximately 20 times greater than the speed of an…

Which observation provides evidence for the nuclear atom? A attraction of opposite charges B emission of gamma-rays during the decay of a radioactive nuclide C scattering of…

Which effect on living things is not caused by ionising radiation? A cancer B cell death C infection D mutation

Isotope X is radioactive. Which statement about X must be correct? A A nucleus of X is unstable. B X emits alpha-particles. C X emits beta-particles. D X emits gamma-radiation.

An experiment is done to measure the radiation from a radioactive source. The source has a half-life of 10 minutes. The source is placed close to a detector that is connected to a…

A student uses the apparatus in Fig. 5.1 to compare how different surfaces absorb infrared radiation. There are two metal containers. One has a dull black surface and the other…

Table 10.1 describes four nuclides: americium-241 (241/95 Am), plutonium-239 (239/94 Pu), plutonium-241 (241/94 Pu) and uranium-238 (238/92 U). Determine which two nuclides have…

A teacher uses the equipment shown in Fig. 6.1: a bottle with one side painted a dull black surface and the other side a shiny white surface. Thermometer X is placed near the dull…

Radon-222 is a radioactive gas that emits alpha (α) particles. The nuclide notation for radon-222 is (222 over 86) Rn, i.e. nucleon number 222 and proton number 86. State the…

A teacher uses the equipment shown in Fig. 6.1. A bottle has one half of its outer surface coloured a dull black and the other half a shiny white. Thermometer X is placed next to…

Radon-222 is a radioactive gas that emits alpha (α) particles. The nuclide notation for radon-222 is (222 over 86) Rn, i.e. nucleon number 222 and proton number 86. State the…

Strontium-90 (⁹⁰₃₈Sr) is a radioactive isotope that contains 38 protons and 52 neutrons. Strontium-90 decays to form an isotope of yttrium (Y) by emitting beta (β) particles.…

Fig. 4.1 shows two metal containers, A and B. Container A has a dull black outer surface and container B has a shiny white outer surface. Each container has a lid and contains…

State what is meant by background radiation.

Define the half-life of a radioactive source.

In which situation is radiation the main method by which energy is transferred? A heating a pan of water using a gas camping stove B energy reaching the Earth from the Sun C…

Infrared is a useful type of electromagnetic radiation. However, excessive exposure to infrared can cause harmful effects. Which row gives a use and a harmful effect for infrared?…

A simple model of the atom consists of small particles orbiting a central nucleus. Which row is correct? A charge on nucleus: negative; charge on orbiting particles: negative B…

What is the charge on a proton and what is the charge on a neutron? A proton +1; neutron −1 B proton +1; neutron 0 C proton −1; neutron +1 D proton −1; neutron 0

An isotope of radon is radioactive. It decays by emitting an α-particle. What happens to the nucleus of a radon atom during the emission of the α-particle? A It becomes the…

The nuclide notation of the isotope strontium-90 is ⁹⁰₃₈Sr. Which statement is correct? A A nucleus of strontium-90 has 38 neutrons. B A nucleus of strontium-90 has 52 neutrons. C…

A box is used for storing radioactive sources. What is the best material to use for lining the box to prevent radiation from escaping? A aluminium B lead C paper D plastic

What are the three main types of radiation emitted by the Sun? A infrared, radio waves and ultraviolet B infrared, visible light and ultraviolet C microwaves, visible light and…

Thermal radiation is emitted from all objects. Which mediums can thermal radiation travel through? (Choices A–D each tick a combination of glass, water, air and vacuum.) A glass,…

Which statement about the structure of an atom is correct? A Negative electrons surround a neutral nucleus. B Negative electrons surround a positive nucleus. C Positive electrons…

Four statements about isotopes of a certain element are listed. Which statement about the isotopes must be correct? A They are radioactive. B They are unstable. C They have the…

What makes a contribution to a person's annual dose of ionising radiation? A food and drink B greenhouse gases C mobile phone masts D radio and TV transmissions

The emissions from a radioactive source pass through a sheet of lead that is 10 mm thick. Which type of radiation is emitted from the source and how is the radiation affected by…

Radioactive waste is often mixed with liquid glass, which solidifies and is stored in steel drums. Why is this process used to store radioactive waste? A It reduces the decay…

In countries where it is usually hot, houses are often painted white. What is the reason for this? A White surfaces are good reflectors of infrared radiation. B White surfaces are…

Which statement about the structure of an atom is correct? A It contains positively charged particles only. B It contains negatively charged particles only. C It contains no…

A nuclide of strontium is represented by ⁹⁰₃₈Sr. Which row gives the number and location of the electrons in an atom of ⁹⁰₃₈Sr? A 38; in the nucleus B 38; surrounding the nucleus…

A radiation detector in a laboratory is measuring background radiation. Which row describes the readings and the cause? A readings vary with no pattern; background radiation is…

The nuclei of the atoms in a substance are changing randomly and emitting radiation. What is happening to the substance? A It is undergoing electromagnetic induction. B It is…

What is the safest way to store a radioactive source? A in a lead-lined box in a metal cabinet B on a shelf away from other radioactive materials C in a glass bottle containing…

In which regions of the electromagnetic spectrum does the Sun radiate most of its energy? A microwave to infrared B ultraviolet to X-ray C infrared to ultraviolet D radio to…

A solar water heater is designed to absorb energy from sunlight. Which surface texture and colour would be best for the solar water heater? A dull black B shiny black C dull white…

The notation ¹⁹⁷₇₉Au represents the nucleus of a gold atom. The relative charge on a proton is +1. What is the relative charge on the gold nucleus? A +79 B +118 C +197 D +276

An isotope of hydrogen has the nuclide notation ²₁H. How many neutrons are in the nucleus of this isotope and what is the relative charge on the nucleus? A 1 neutron; +1 B 1…

A radioactive source is placed near a detector. The radiation arriving is measured for 10 minutes with different materials placed between source and detector: none 5626 counts;…

The reading on a detector placed near a radioactive material is 536 counts per second. The background count rate is 44 counts per second. The half-life of the material is 34…

What is the main process that powers the Sun? A burning of helium and oxygen B burning of hydrogen and oxygen C nuclear fusion of hydrogen to form helium D nuclear fission of…

A nucleus X has 17 protons and 18 neutrons. Which notation is correct for this nucleus? A ¹⁷₁₈X B ¹⁷₃₅X C ¹⁸₁₇X D ³⁵₁₇X

The dashed line on the graph shows the decay curve recorded from a sample of a radioactive isotope (count rate / counts per minute vs time / days). The count rate includes…

Which type of radioactive source is suitable for use in measuring and controlling the thickness of paper in a paper-manufacturing factory? A alpha; long half-life B alpha; short…

A medical tracer is used to investigate a tumour. The graph shows the corrected count rate (counts/s) against time (min), falling from 8000 to 4000 in 2 minutes. What is the…

Which diagram (A, B, C or D) shows the structure of a neutral atom? (Equal numbers of positive and negative subatomic particles, with neutral particles in the nucleus.)

What is nuclear fission? A the merging of two nuclei to create a heavier nucleus B the process by which electrons are removed from an atom C the process by which stars generate…

The diagram represents the paths of three types of ionising radiation, X, Y and Z, through a magnetic field. The three types are alpha, beta and gamma. X deflects strongly one…

Which row correctly matches three radioactive sources to their uses? A alpha (long half-life): monitoring thickness of aluminium foil; beta (long): smoke alarm; gamma (short):…

Why are some radioactive sources stored in boxes made from lead? A Lead absorbs emissions from the radioactive sources. B Lead decreases the half-life of radioactive sources. C…

A nucleus of strontium-90 is represented using nuclide notation as ⁹⁰₃₈Sr. Calculate the number of neutrons in one nucleus of strontium-90.

U-235 and U-238 are isotopes of uranium. Fig. 10.1 shows the nuclide notation: ²³⁵₉₂U and ²³⁸₉₂U. Compare the number of protons in one nucleus of U-235 with the number of protons…

The nuclide notation for an atom of protactinium-234 is ²³⁴₉₁Pa. State the number of protons in an atom of protactinium-234.

The isotope thallium-208 (²⁰⁸₈₁Tl) is radioactive and decays by β-decay to an isotope of lead (Pb). Complete the equation for this decay: ²⁰⁸₈₁Tl → (?/?)Pb + (?/?)β.

The Sun is one of many billions of stars in the Milky Way. The Sun emits a very large quantity of energy as electromagnetic radiation. State the three regions of the…

Radioactive isotopes that emit ionising radiation are used in hospitals. State and explain two safety precautions necessary for the use of these isotopes in medical procedures.

Leaks in underground water pipes are detected using radioactive tracers. Fig. 10.1 shows a radiation detector above a water pipe, with a counter reading 382 above a leak. Before…

Which diagram represents the structure of a neutral atom? The key shows: neutron (open circle), proton (circle with +), electron (circle with −). Four diagrams A–D show different…

The diagram shows five atoms in a radioactive substance. The atoms each give out an α-particle. Atom 1 is the first to give out a particle. Atom 3 is the second to give out a…

The diagram shows a radioactive source, a thick aluminium sheet and a radiation detector arranged in a line. The radiation detector shows a reading greater than the background…

The half-life of the radioactive isotope caesium-137 (¹³⁷₅₅Cs) is 30 years. Starting with 30 g of the isotope, which mass of the isotope remains after 90 years? A 10.0 g B 7.50 g…

A student suggests three sources of naturally occurring background radiation: 1 cosmic rays; 2 medical X-rays; 3 radioactive emissions from radon gas from the ground. Which…

A student measures the rate at which ionising radiation is emitted from a radioactive substance. He places a detector at different distances from the radioactive source. The table…

Radioactive decay results in the emission of α-particles, β-particles and γ-radiation. Which types of emission result in a nucleus changing to that of a different element? A…

A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 120 minutes. It emits radiation at a rate of 100 particles per second. How long does it take for the rate of emission to fall to 25…

When measuring the emissions from a radioactive rock brought into the laboratory, a teacher mentions that background radiation must be taken into account. What is this background…

How do the ionising effect and the penetrating ability of α-particles compare with those of β-particles and γ-rays (ionising effect; penetrating ability)? A ionising effect…

Half-life is ......1...... for the ......2...... a sample of a radioactive isotope to halve. Which words correctly complete gaps 1 and 2? A 1 half of the time taken; 2 nucleon…

Radioactive materials must be handled in a safe way. What is not a safety procedure? A storing radioactive materials in cardboard boxes B monitoring exposure time to radioactive…

Which statement about the use of nuclear fuel as an energy resource is correct? A It obtains its energy from the Sun. B It has no environmental impact. C Nuclear power stations do…

α-particles are directed at a metal foil. Most of the particles pass through the foil with little change in direction. A small proportion of the particles are scattered back…

Which statement correctly compares the properties of alpha-particles and beta-particles? A Alpha-particles are less penetrating than beta-particles because alpha-particles are…

Which statement about alpha decay is correct? A The nucleus loses electrons. B The nucleus changes to that of a different element. C The nucleus does not decay until after one…

An explosion in a nuclear reactor spreads the isotope caesium-137, ¹³⁷₅₅Cs, across a large area. After 90.0 years have passed, the quantity of caesium-137 present is 12.5% of its…

An α-particle and a β-particle have the same kinetic energy. Why does the α-particle have a larger ionising effect than the β-particle as it passes through air? A The α-particle…

A student is carrying out an experiment to measure the radiation from a radioactive source. He uses a radiation detector and records the total counts in 5-minute intervals. He…

The count rate measured near a radioactive source drops from 542 counts per minute to 94 counts per minute in 12 hours. The background count remains constant at 30 counts per…

The products of the decay of a nucleus of a radioactive isotope are a nucleus and radiation which is emitted. What is the nature of the products? A a nucleus of an element…

An atomic nucleus decays by one or more radioactive decay processes. What causes the proton number to decrease by 1? A α-decay followed by β-decay B α-decay only C β-decay…

Which definition of half-life is not correct? A the time it takes for half a count from a radioactive sample to fall to half its original value B the time it takes for half of the…

The diagram shows a system to control the thickness of paper produced by a machine. β-particles from a source pass through the paper to a β-particle detector; the rollers squeeze…

Which reaction produces the energy that powers the Sun? A fission of hydrogen B fission of uranium C fusion of hydrogen D fusion of uranium

Name three types of nuclear emission from radioactive sources.

The nuclide notation for the radioactive isotope carbon-14 is ¹⁴₆C. Using the symbols shown in Fig. 8.1 (electron ×, neutron ○, proton ●), draw a diagram to show the number of…

On a sunny day, the temperatures of a black tarmac road and the air above the road increase. Explain why the surface temperature of the tarmac increases.

Carbon-14 (¹⁴₆C) is a radioactive isotope of carbon. Carbon-12 (¹²₆C) is not radioactive. Explain how an atom of carbon-14 (¹⁴₆C) differs from an atom of carbon-12 (¹²₆C).

Fig. 3.1 shows a portable shower used on a campsite. The bag is filled with water. The water is heated using infrared radiation from the Sun. The shower bag is painted black.…

An isotope of boron is used in the treatment of cancer in the brain. Boron sticks to cancer cells in the brain. The isotope of boron is bombarded with neutrons then undergoes…

Fig. 11.1 represents all the particles in an atom which is a radioactive isotope of carbon (showing a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons). Table 11.1 gives information about…

Iodine-131 is a radioactive isotope of the element iodine. Fig. 10.1 shows the nuclide notation for a nucleus of iodine-131 (mass number 131, proton number 53, symbol I).…

Fig. 9.1 represents an atom of beryllium. The labels A, B and C indicate three types of particle (A = orbiting particle, B = nuclear particle, C = nuclear particle). Complete…

Fig. 9.1 represents all the particles in a neutral atom of a radioactive isotope X1 (white dots represent protons, grey dots represent neutrons; 5 protons and 12 particles in the…

Table 9.1 shows some properties and values for α-particles, β-particles and γ-radiation. Complete Table 9.1. type of radiation number of protons number of neutrons charge / C…

Two types of electromagnetic radiation are used in glass optical fibres for high-speed broadband. State the type of electromagnetic radiation, other than visible light, which is…

During β-decay, one of the neutrons in the nucleus changes. State what happens to this neutron.

A nucleus of an isotope of actinium contains 89 protons and 136 neutrons. The chemical symbol for actinium is Ac. Complete the nuclide notation for this isotope of actinium (write…

Fig. 11.1 represents all the particles in a beryllium atom (showing 4 electrons, 4 protons and 5 neutrons; the key lists electrons, protons and a third type to be named). The…

Fig. 10.1 represents all the particles in a lithium atom (a nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by orbiting electrons; the key labels electron, proton, neutron). State…

Many household smoke alarms contain a sample of the radioactive isotope americium-241 (Am). Americium-241 is the isotope of the element americium that has the nucleon number (mass…

The isotope uranium-235 is represented by ²³⁵₉₂U. State what the numbers 92 and 235 represent in this symbol.

For each application of radioactive isotopes, state and explain which type of radioactive emission is suitable and suggest an appropriate half-life for the isotope. household…