Name: ________________________

New Document 1
Class: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Time: 49 minutes

Marks: 38 marks

Comments:
Q1.
(a) Which ionizing radiation produces the greatest number of ion pairs per mm in air?
Tick (✓) the correct answer.

α particles

β particles

γ rays
X−rays

(1)

(b) (i) Complete the table showing the typical maximum range in air for α and β
particles.

Type of radiation Typical range in air / m

β
(2)

(ii) γ rays have a range of at least 1 km in air.

However, a γ ray detector placed 0.5 m from a γ ray source detects a
noticeably smaller count-rate as it is moved a few centimetres further away
from the source.

Explain this observation.

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(1)

(c) Following an accident, a room is contaminated with dust containing americium which
is an α−emitter.

Explain the most hazardous aspect of the presence of this dust to an unprotected
human entering the room.

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___________________________________________________________________

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 ___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q2.
The carbon content of living trees includes a small proportion of carbon-14, which is a
radioactive isotope. After a tree dies, the proportion of carbon-14 in it decreases due to
radioactive decay.

(a) (i) The half-life of carbon-14 is 5740 years.

Calculate the radioactive decay constant in yr–1 of carbon-14.

decay constant ____________________ yr–1

(1)

(ii) A piece of wood taken from an axe handle found on an archaeological site has
0.375 times as many carbon-14 atoms as an equal mass of living wood.
Calculate the age of the axe handle in years.

age ____________________ yr
(3)

(b) Suggest why the method of carbon dating is likely to be unreliable if a sample is:

(i) less than 200 years old,

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(ii) more than 60 000 years old.

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(2)
(Total 6 marks)
Q3.
The diagram shows how the binding energy per nucleon varies with nucleon number.

(a) (i) Fission and fusion are two nuclear processes in which energy can be
released. Explain why nuclei that undergo fission are restricted to a different
part of the graph than those that undergo fusion.

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(2)

(ii) Explain, with reference to the diagram, why the energy released per nucleon
from fusion is greater than that from fission.

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 ______________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) (i) Calculate the mass difference, in kg, of the nucleus.

mass of nucleus = 15.991 u

mass difference = ____________________ kg

(2)

(ii) Using your answer to part (b)(i), calculate the binding energy, in MeV, of an
oxygen nucleus.

binding energy = ____________________ MeV

(1)

(iii) Explain how the binding energy of an oxygen nucleus can be calculated
with information obtained from the diagram.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

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(1)
(Total 8 marks)

Q4.
The isotope of uranium, , decays into a stable isotope of lead, , by means of a
series of α and β– decays.

(a) In this series of decays, α decay occurs 8 times and β– decay occurs n times.
Calculate n.
 answer = ____________________
(1)

(b) (i) Explain what is meant by the binding energy of a nucleus.

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(2)

(ii) Figure 1 shows the binding energy per nucleon for some stable nuclides.

Figure 1

Use Figure 1 to estimate the binding energy, in MeV, of the nucleus.

answer = ____________________ MeV

(1)
(c) The half-life of is 4.5 × 109 years, which is much larger than all the other half-
lives of the decays in the series.

A rock sample when formed originally contained 3.0 × 1022 atoms of and no
atoms.

At any given time most of the atoms are either or with a negligible
number of atoms in other forms in the decay series.

(i) Sketch on Figure 2 graphs to show how the number of atoms and the
number of atoms in the rock sample vary over a period of 1.0 × 1010
years from its formation.
Label your graphs U and Pb.

Figure 2

(2)

(ii) A certain time, t, after its formation the sample contained twice as many
atoms as atoms.
Show that the number of atoms in the rock sample at time t was 2.0 ×
1022.
 (1)

(ii) Calculate t in years.

answer = ____________________ years

(3)
(Total 10 marks)

Q5.
(a) When an α particle is emitted from a nucleus of the isotope , a nucleus of
thallium, Tl, is formed. Complete the equation below.

→ α + Tl
(2)

(b) The α particle in part (a) is emitted with 6.1 MeV of kinetic energy.

(i) The mass of the α particle is 4.0 u. Show that the speed of the α particle
immediately after it has been emitted is 1.7 × 10–7 m s–1. Ignore relativistic
effects.

______________________________________________________________

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(ii) Calculate the speed of recoil of the daughter nucleus immediately after the α
particle has been emitted. Assume the parent nucleus is initially at rest.

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(6)
(Total 8 marks)
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a) A α particles
[auto mark question]
1

(b) (i) Typical

type of
range in air /
radiation
m

α 0.04

β 0.40

Allow students to use their own distance units in the table

α allow 0.03 0.07 m
β allow 0.20 3.0 m.
If a range is given in the table use the larger value.
A specific number is required e.g. not just a few cm.
2

(ii) reference to the inverse square law of (γ radiation)

or
reference to lowering of the solid angle (subtended by the detector as it
moves away)
or
radiation is spread out (over a larger surface area as the detector is
moved away)
(owtte)
Ignore any references to other types of radiation.
Any contradiction loses the mark. For example, follows
inverse square law so intensity falls exponentially.
1

(c) dust may be ingested / taken into the body / breathed in

First mark for ingestion not just on the body

causing (molecules in human tissue / cells) to be made cancerous / killed /

damaged by ionisation
Second mark for idea of damage from ionisation
2
[6]

Q2.
(a) (i) λ ( = ln 2 / T = 0.693 / 5740 ) = 1.2 × 10 (yr ) ✓
1/2
−4 −1

(1.21 × 10 yr )
−4 −1

only allow 3.83 × 10 s if the unit has been changed

−12 −1

working is not necessary for mark

1

λt
(ii) (use of N = N e
t o
–
and activity is proportional to N
 A = A e λt )
t o
–

0.375 = exp - (1.21 × 10 × t) ✓ −4

t= ✓
t = 8100 or 8200(yr) ✓
1 mark substitution, allow EC from (i)
st

2 mark rearranging, allow EC from (i)

nd

Allow t / T = 2 approach
1/2
n

3 mark no EC (so it is not necessary to evaluate a CE)

rd

so max 2 for a CE
full marks can be given for final answer alone. A minus in the
final answer will lose the last mark
3

(b) (i) (it is difficult to measure accurately)

the small drop / change in activity / count-rate
the small change / drop in the ratio of C-14 to C-12 ✓

the activity would be very small / comparable to the background

or the ratio of C-14 to C-12 is too small
or there are too few C-14 atoms
or there is very little decay
or the level of C-14 (in the biosphere) is uncertain (this long ago) ✓
1 mark needs some reference to a change in count-rate or
st

activity for the mark

be lenient in 2 mark
nd

in reading a script assume C-14 is the subject. Eg ‘there is

little activity to work with’ scores mark. Also allow any
reasonable suggestion. Eg carbon may have been removed
by bonding to surrounding material
Don't allow, ‘All the carbon has decayed’
2
[6]

Q3.
(a) (i) Fission occurs at A values above the peak / above A of about 56 and fusion
occurs at A values below the peak / below A of about 56 ✔

Fission is the splitting of a nucleus (into two smaller ones) and fusion is the
joining of two nuclei ✔
First mark uses the graph so ‘fission occurs in very large
nuclei’ does not gain a mark. (allow other interpretations that
use the graph eg gradients)
2nd Mark splitting into 2 is not required for fission but if the
answer implies something different like the separating of all
the nucleons the mark may not be given.
2

(ii) Energy is released when the binding energy (per nucleon) is increased ✔
fusion energy is greater as the increase in BE(/A) for fusion > increase in
BE(/A) for fission (owtte) ✔
The last point can be given for a reference to the larger
gradient at small values of A (fusion region) compared to the
 gradient at large values of A (fission region)
2

(b) (i) ∆m = (8mp + 8mn) − Moxygen

mark for substituting data into the above equation in any workable consistent
units

= 8(1.00867+1.00728) − 15.991 ✔

(∆m = 0.1366 u

∆m = 0.1366 × 1.661 × 10−27 ) = 2.3 × 10−28 (kg) ✔

(range of answers 2.2 - 2.3 × 10−28 kg)

Substitution may take the following form
8(1.673 × 10−27)+8(1.675 × 10-27)−(15.991 × 1.661 × 10−27) ✔
= 2.23 × 10−28 (kg) ✔
Correct answer gains full marks.
Look out for a physics error in which u is not taken as 1.661
× 10−27 kg
2

(ii) E = m × c2 = 2.3 × 10−28 × (3.00 × 108)2 = 2.07 × 10-11 J

BE = 2.07 × 10−11 / 1.6 × 10-13 = 130 (MeV) ✔ (129 MeV)
Or using
using ∆m = 0.1366 u (this must appear in b(i) for this approach)
BE = 0.1366 × 931.3 = 130 (MeV) ✔ (127 MeV)
CE is allowed but only if the calculation is shown
Note answer = b(i) × 5.625 × 1029
answer only is acceptable for one mark.

(factor may be 931 or 931.5)

1

(iii) read from the graph the BE/A for and multiply by the number of nucleons
(or 16) ✔
Or show the calculation
BE = 8(Mev) × 16(nucleons) = 130 (MeV) ✔ (128 MeV)✔
There must be a reference to position on the graph.
with the calculation allow BE = 8.1(Mev) × 16(nucleons) =
130 (MeV)
A calculation may lead to an answer in joule
1
[8]

Q4.

(a)

β=6
1

(b) (i) the energy required to split up the nucleus

 into its individual neutrons and protons/nucleons

(or the energy released to form/hold the nucleus

from its individual neutrons and protons/nucleons )

2

(ii) 7.88 × 206 = 1620 MeV (allow 1600-1640 MeV)

1

(c) (i) U, a graph starting at 3 × 1022 showing exponential fall passing through

0.75 × 1022 near 9 × 109 years

Pb, inverted graph of the above so that the graphs cross at 1.5 × 10 22 near
4.5 × 109 years
2

(ii) (u represents the number of uranium atoms then)

u = 6 × 1022 – 2u

u = 2 × 1022 atoms
1

(iii) (use of N = No e-λt)

2 × 1022 = 3 × 1022 × e-λt

t = ln 1.5 / λ

(use of λ = ln 2 / t1/2)

λ = ln 2 / 4.5 × 109 = 1.54 × 10-10

t = 2.6 × 109 years (or 2.7 × 109 years)

3
[10]

Q5.
(a)

either (1) (for both atomic mass numbers, 4 and 208)

and (1) (for both atomic numbers, 2 and 81)
[or (1) for Tl and incorrect α]
2

(b) (i) Ek = (½mv2) = 6.1 × 106 × 1.6 × 10-19(J) (1)

substitution for m = 4.0 × 1.66 × 10-27(kg) (1)

(1) (= 1.7 × 107m s-1)

(ii) correct use of conservation of momentum mTl vrecoil = mα v (1)
substitution of mTl = 208u (1)
(allow C.E. for mass = 208)

vrecoil = = 3.3 × 105 m s-1 (1)

(allow C.E. for value of v)

6
[8]