Nuclear (AS Physics)
Compiled by: Sir Sumair
8. Strontium- 90 (38Sr ) is radioactive and emits -particles.
Which equation could represent this nuclear decay?
90
May 02
1. Which set of radioactive emissions corresponds to the
descriptions given in the table headings?
9. Protons and neutrons are thought to consist of smaller particles
called quarks.
The up quark has a charge of 2/3 e : a down quark has a charge
19
of 1/3 e, where e is the elementary charge (+1.6 x 10 C).
How many up quarks and down quarks must a proton contain?
2. The nucleus of one of the isotopes of nickel is represented by
60
28 Ni . Which line in the table correctly describes a neutral atom
of this isotope?
Nov 03
10. Which are the correct descriptions of a -ray and a -particle?
3. A nucleus of bohrium
x
yBh
decays to mendelevium
by a sequence of three -particle emissions.
11. A certain nuclide, Uranium-235, has nucleon number 235, proton
number 92 and neutron number 143. Data on four other nuclides are
given below. Which is an isotope of Uranium-235?
How many neutrons are there in a nucleus of Bh?
A 267
B 261
C 160
D 154
Nov 02
4. The numbers of protons, neutrons and nucleons in three
nuclei are shown.
59
12. A nickel nucleus 28Ni can be transformed by a process termed
K-capture. In this process the nucleus absorbs an orbital electron.
If no other process is involved, what is the resulting nucleus?
Which nuclei are isotopes of the same element?
A X and Y B X and Z C Y and Z D none of them
5. In an experiment to investigate the nature of the atom, a very
thin gold film was bombarded with -particles.
What pattern of deflection of the -particles was observed?
A A few -particles were deflected through angles greater than a
right angle.
B All -particles were deflected from their original path.
C Most -particles were deflected through angles greater than a
right angle.
D No -particle was deflected through an angle greater than a
right angle.
6. When a nucleus of
June 04
241
13. A nucleus of the nuclide 94Pu decays by emission of a particle followed by the emission of an -particle.
Which of the nuclides shown is formed?
14. A thin gold foil is bombarded with -particles as shown.
absorbs a slow neutron it
subsequently emits two -particles. What is the resulting
nucleus?
June 03
7. In what way do the atoms of the isotopes
differ?
A different charge
B different numbers of electrons
C different numbers of neutrons
D different numbers of protons
The results of this experiment provide information about the
A binding energy of a gold nucleus.
B energy levels of electrons in gold atoms.
C size of a gold nucleus.
D structure of a gold nucleus.
15. Isotopes of a given element all have the same
A charge / mass ratio.
B neutron number.
C nucleon number.
D proton number
23. Two -particles with equal energies are fired towards the
nucleus of a gold atom.
Which diagram best represents their paths?
Nov 04.
16. The symbol
represents a nuclide of
germanium that decays to a nuclide of arsenic (As)
by emitting a -particle.
What is the symbol of this arsenic nuclide?
17. The table shows three properties of different types of
ionising radiation.
24. A nuclear reaction is represented by the equation
What are the radiations X, Y and Z?
What is particle X?
A an -particle
C a neutron
B a -particle
D a proton
June 06.
25. What is a correct order of magnitude estimate for the diameter of
a typical atomic nucleus?
14
18
22
26
A 10 m
B 10 m
C 10 m
D 10 m
18. Which conclusion can be drawn from the results of the
experiment showing the scattering of -particles by gold foil?
A Electrons orbit the atomic nucleus in well-defined paths.
B Nuclei of different isotopes contain different numbers of
neutrons.
C The atomic nucleus contains protons and neutrons.
D The nucleus is very small compared with the size of the atom.
26. The decay of a nucleus of neptunium is accompanied by the
emission of a -particle and -radiation.
What effect (if any) does this decay have on the proton number and
the nucleon number of the nucleus?
June 05
19. Which two nuclei contain the same number of neutrons?
20. A student conducts an experiment using an -particle
source.
When considering safety precautions, what can be assumed to
be the maximum range of -particles in air?
A between 0 and 5 mm
B between 5 mm and 200 mm
C between 200 mm and 500 mm
D between 500 mm and 1000 mm
27. Radon-220 is radioactive and decays to Polonium-216 with the
emission of an -particle. The equation for the radioactive decay is
shown.
How many neutrons are in the radon and polonium nuclei?
21. The following represents a sequence of radioactive decays
involving two -particles and one -particle.
What is the nuclide X?
Nov 06.
28. Where are electrons, neutrons and protons found in an atom?
Nov 05
22. An atomic nucleus emits a -particle.
What change does this cause to the proton and nucleon
numbers of the nucleus?
222
29. Radon 86Rn
decays by and emission to bismuth 83Bi
214
.For the decay of each nucleus of radon, how many and
particles are emitted?
37. The following particles are each accelerated from rest through
the same potential difference.
Which one completes the acceleration with the greatest momentum?
A -particle
B electron
C neutron
D proton
June 08
38. What is the approximate mass of a nucleus of uranium?
15
20
25
30
B 10 kg
C 10 kg
D 10 kg
A 10 kg
June 07.
30. A detector is exposed to a radioactive source. Fluctuations in
the count-rate are observed.
What do these fluctuations indicate about radioactive decay?
A It is random.
B It is spontaneous.
C It is exponential.
D It is non-linear.
31. The symbol
39. A radioactive nucleus is formed by -decay. This nucleus then
decays by -emission.
Which graph of proton number Z plotted against nucleon number N
shows the -decay followed by the -emission?
represents a nucleus of
germanium that decays to a nucleus of arsenic by emitting a particle. What is the symbol of this arsenic nucleus?
32. Each of the nuclei below is accelerated from rest through the
same potential difference.
Which one completes the acceleration with the lowest speed?
Nov. 07
Nov. 08
33. How is it possible to distinguish between the isotopes of
uranium?
A Their nuclei have different charge and different mass, and
they emit different particles when they decay.
B Their nuclei have different charge but the same mass.
C Their nuclei have the same charge but different mass.
D Their nuclei have the same charge and mass, but they emit
different particles when they decay.
34 What is not conserved in nuclear processes?
A energy and mass together
B nucleon number
C neutron number
D charge
35. A thin gold foil is bombarded with -particles as shown.
40. Which conclusion can be drawn from the results of the
experiment showing the scattering of -particles by gold foil?
A Electrons orbit the atomic nucleus in well-defined paths.
B Nuclei of different isotopes contain different numbers of neutrons.
C The atomic nucleus contains protons and neutrons.
D The nucleus is very small compared with the size of the atom.
41. A nucleus Q has the notation
.
Which of the following is an isotope of Q?
42. A
nucleus decays in two stages to a
What was emitted in these two stages?
A+
B+
C+
nucleus.
D+
June 09
43. How do the nucleon (mass) number and proton (atomic) number
of two isotopes of an element compare?
nucleon number
proton number
A
different
different
B
different
same
C
same
different
D
same
same
What can be deduced from this experiment?
A the binding energy of a gold nucleus
B the energy levels of electrons in gold atoms
C the small size of a gold nucleus
D the structure of a gold nucleus
36. A zirconium nucleus,
, is a -emitter.
The product nucleus is also a -emitter.
What is the final resulting nucleus of these two decays?
44. Nuclear decay is both spontaneous and random.
When the count rate of a radioactive isotope is measured, the
readings fluctuate.
Which row describes what the fluctuations demonstrate?
spontaneous nature
random nature
A
no
no
B
no
yes
C
yes
no
D
yes
yes
45. Which two nuclei contain the same number of neutrons?
46. The calcium nuclide
is formed by beta decay.
What are the nucleon (mass) number and proton (atomic)
number of the unstable nuclide that underwent beta decay to
form the calcium nuclide?
proton number
nucleon number
A
41
19
B
41
21
C
42
19
D
42
21
47. When
52. The grid shows a number of nuclides arranged according to the
number of protons and the number of neutrons in each. A nucleus of
8
the nuclide 3Li decays by emitting a -particle.
What is the resulting nuclide?
is bombarded with
-particles, a new nucleus is formed and a neutron is released.
Which nuclear equation could represent this reaction?
53. What is not conserved in nuclear processes?
A charge
C the total number of neutrons
B momentum
D the total number of nucleons
Nov 09.
48. The gold nucleus
undergoes alpha decay.
What are the nucleon (mass) number and proton (atomic)
number of the nucleus formed by this decay?
nucleon number
proton number
A
183
79
B
183
77
C
181
77
D
181
75
49. The nuclei of the isotopes of an element all contain the same
number of a certain particle.
What is this particle?
A electron
B neutron
C nucleon
D proton
50. Alpha, beta and gamma radiations
1 are absorbed to different extents in solids,
2 behave differently in an electric field,
3 behave differently in a magnetic field.
The diagrams illustrate these behaviours.
Which three labels on these diagrams refer to the same kind of
radiation?
A L, P, X
B L, P, Z
C M, P, Z
D N, Q, X
June 10
51. What are the correct descriptions of a -ray and a -particle?
-ray
-particle
A high-speed electron
electromagnetic radiation
B electromagnetic radiation
helium-4 nucleus
C electromagnetic radiation
high-speed electron
D high-speed electron
helium-4 nucleus
54. The following represents a sequence of radioactive decays
involving two -particles and one -particle.
What is the nuclide X?
