Nuclear physics — IGCSE Sciences - Co-Ordinated (0654) questions by topic
Nuclide notation for tritium's beta decay, penetration tests comparing paper against thin aluminium and lead shielding, and comparing the charge and nature of alpha, beta and gamma radiation used in hospital cancer treatment make up the 13 nuclear physics questions from 2023 and 2024, worth 7 to 11 marks.
Complete and state top the command words, with calculate and explain testing count data or the reasoning behind a shielding result, and suggest asking for a plausible use of a given radiation. Because completing a decay equation correctly depends on tracking proton and nucleon numbers across every symbol, submit your nuclide-notation answers for instant marking so a single miscounted number is corrected before it repeats across a whole equation.
May–June 2024, Paper 32
Doctors use ionising and non-ionising radiations in hospitals. Table 3.1 lists some radiations (alpha, beta, gamma, ultrasound, X-rays). Gamma is shown ionising (tick) and…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 33
Doctors use ionising and non-ionising radiations in hospitals. Table 3.1 lists some radiations (alpha, beta, gamma, ultrasound, X-rays). Gamma is shown ionising (tick) and…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 42
The element strontium has many naturally occurring isotopes, some of which are unstable. Fig. 9.1 shows a decay curve for one of the isotopes given in Table 9.1 (activity / counts…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 43
Fig. 12.1 shows three types of radiation, alpha, beta and gamma, entering an electric field between two charged plates. The alpha radiation is shown curving towards the negative…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 32
Alpha-particles, beta-particles and gamma-rays are all used in hospitals to treat cancer. Table 6.1 gives information about the nature and charge of these three radiations:…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 33
Alpha-particles, beta-particles and gamma-rays are all used in hospitals to treat cancer. Table 6.1 gives information about the nature and charge of these three radiations:…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 41
Tritium (hydrogen-3, proton number 1) is an isotope of hydrogen. Tritium decays by beta emission. Use correct nuclide notation to complete the decay equation for tritium: (3,1)H -…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 42
Polonium is a highly radioactive metal with no stable isotopes. Polonium-210 (polonium, 84) decays to form lead-206 (lead, 82). The decay of polonium-210 is a one-step process.…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 43
Fig. 12.1 shows a diagram of a nuclear power station used to generate electricity (reactor with control rod, fuel rod and moderator; boiler producing steam to a steam turbine and…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 41
A student investigates the penetrating abilities of ionising radiation (Fig. 12.1: source, shielding material, detector, counter). Table 12.1 shows counts in 1 minute: no material…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 42
Table 12.1 shows information about three types of ionising radiation. alpha: (nature blank), high ionising effect, (penetrating blank). beta: fast-moving electron, medium, medium.…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 42
Radon is a radioactive gas which occurs naturally in rocks and soil. Radon-222 (222 over 86 Ra) is an unstable isotope which decays by emitting an alpha particle. Use the correct…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 43
Tellurium is a rare element which exists as several isotopes, some of which are unstable. A nucleus of tellurium-109 decays by emitting an alpha-particle. Describe the effect of…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other IGCSE Sciences - Co-Ordinated topics
- Practical skills (146)
- Motion, forces and energy (41)
- Organic chemistry (16)
- Electricity and magnetism (15)
- Waves (14)
- Reproduction (13)
- Coordination and response (12)
- Organisms and their environment (12)
- Metals (11)
- Atoms, elements and compounds (10)
- Stoichiometry (9)
- Thermal physics (9)