1 Fig. 1.1 represents a neutral lithium atom.

All the particles in the atom are shown

on the diagram.

Fig. 1.1

(a) Use Fig. 1.1 to help you answer the following questions.

(i) How many electrons does this atom have?

......................................................................................................
3 [1]
(ii) What is the value of the proton number of this atom?

......................................................................................................
4 [1]
(iii) How many neutrons does the atom have?

......................................................................................................
3 [1]
(iv) What is the value of the nucleon number of this atom?
7
...................................................................................................... [1]
(b) Write the appropriate numbers in the boxes below, to represent this atom
of Lithium in nuclide notation.

[1]
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2. The nucleus of one of the different nuclides of polonium can be represented by

the symbol

218
84
Po
(a) State the proton number of this nuclide.
84
.................................................................................................................. [1]
(b) State the nucleon number of this nuclide.

..................................................................................................................
218 [1]
(c) The nucleus decays according to the following equation.

218
84 Po  214
82 Pb  emitted particle

(i) State the proton number of the emitted particle.

82
...................................................................................................... [1]
(ii) State the nucleon number of the emitted particle.

......................................................................................................
214 [1]
(iii) Name the emitted particle. Tick one blank.

α-particle ______

β-particle ______

neutron ______

proton ______ [1]

250
3. The nuclide 97
Bk decays by emitting a β-particle.
(a) Explain what happens during β-decay.

The nucleon number of the decaying nuclide remains the same while the proton number is
........................................................................................................................
increased by one
.................................................................................................................. [2]
(b) Complete the nuclear equation for this decay by writing appropriate
numbers in the blanks. [2]

250
97
Bk  ______
______
Cf  e 0
-1

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4. (a) When a nucleus decays by emitting an -particle, what happens to

(i) the number of neutrons in the nucleus,

............................................................................................................
they are reduced by 4
(ii) the number of protons in the nucleus,

they are reduced by 2

............................................................................................................
(iii) the charge on the nucleus?
+2
...................................................................................................... [5]
(b) A nucleus of carbon 14 ( 146 C ) decays to form a nucleus of nitrogen 14
( 147 N ).
(i) State how many neutrons there are in a nucleus of carbon-14.
8
...................................................................................................... [1]
(ii) State and explain the type of radiation that is given out by the
nucleus of carbon-14.

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

...................................................................................................... [2]
5. (a) On 1st January 1900, a sample of a particular radioactive nuclide had an
activity of 3200 count / min. The nuclide has a half-life of 22 years.
Calculate the activity of the nuclide remaining in the sample on 1st
January 1966.

activity = ......................... count / min [4]

(b) Table 5.1 shows how the activity of a radioactive isotope changes over
time.
Table 5.1
Activity (count/sec) 100 70 50 35 25
Time (days) 0 10 20 30 40
(i) What is meant by half-life?

………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………..… [1]
(ii) Determine the half-life of the isotope.

Half life = ……………..….. [1]

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6. Details of two radioactive sources used by a school are shown below.

Source Radioactive source Type of radiation emitted Half-life of source
A Cobalt 60 gamma ray 5 years
B Strontium 90 Beta particle 28 years

(a) On Fig.6.2, the number of Cobalt 60 atoms in source A and the number of
strontium 90 atoms in source B at time t = 0 has been plotted as х.

Fig 6.2
(i) Plot accurately the number of Cobalt 60 atoms in source A at t = 5,
10, 15, and 20 years. Draw the best line through your points.
(ii) Sketch how the number of Strontium 90 atoms in source B changes
from t = 0 to 20 years. [3]
(b) A detector is placed near source A. It records 4000 counts in one minute
from the source when t = 0. A piece of lead, which absorbs 99% of gamma
rays, is immediately placed between the source and the detector.
Determine
(i) The counts in one minute that the detector now records from the
source,

counts in one minute = ..............................

(ii) The time t when the detector would measure 10 counts in one
minute from the source.

time = ............................... [3]

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6. (a) (i) Define nuclear fusion.

………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………
(ii) Which major source of energy is powered by nuclear fusion?

………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(b) (i) Define nuclear fission

………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(ii) Explain how the fission of uranium produces heat in a nuclear
reactor.

………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………. [3].

(iii) Uranium 235 undergoes nuclear fission in a reactor. The equation

below shows one of the possible fission reactions.

235
92
U 1
( _____ )
n  ( _____ )
54
Ba  90
( _____ )
Kr  1
( _____ )
n  1
( _____ )
n  1
( _____ )
n

Balance the equation by filling the blanks. [3]

7. In a nuclear power station, uranium 235 is used to produce electricity.

(a) How much energy is released when 0.5 kg of a uranium sample
disintegrates in the reaction chamber (C=3.0 x 108 m/s)

Heat energy = …………………… J [3]

(b) The power station produces 4.12 x 1016 J of energy. Calculate its
efficiency.

Efficiency = ………………………… [1]

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