1 Particles and nuclides Answers

Page 1 Test yourself on prior knowledge

1 Any of the following three similarities: Same number of protons; same number of electrons; same
atomic number; all electrically neutral.

Different number of neutrons.

2 +2

3 35 and 37 (If you did not know of these isotopes, you can look them up.)
Then 0.75 x 35 + 0.25 x 37 = 35.5
chlorine-35, p = 17, n = 18;
chlorine-37, p = 17, n = 20
4 a) 118

b) 176

c) 118

d) Since the number of protons and electrons is the same, the ratio of their masses is the same
as that of a single proton to a single electron i.e. 1:1800

Page 5 Test yourself

1 Specific charge = charge per unit mass

2 Nuclides with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons; i.e. nuclides with
the same proton number, Z, but different nucleon number, A.

3 134 × 10-12 m / 27 × 10-15 m = 4 963

For gold, atomic radius: nuclear radius ≈ 5 000:1

4 The electrons are fired at the nucleus with considerably higher energy (about 200 MeV or higher)
than the alpha particles (about 7 MeV), so can get closer to the nucleus. As well as this, electrons
do not experience the strong force that exists between protons and neutrons within nuclei.

5 a) p = 14; n = 14; e = 14

b) i) Q = +2e = 2 × (+)1.6 × 10-19 C = +3.2 × 10-19 C

ii) A = 28

iii) m = (14 × mp) + (14 × mn)

= (14 × 1.673 × 10-27 kg) + (14 × 1.675 × 10-27 kg)
= 4.687 × 10-26 kg
Specific charge = Q/m
= 3.2 × 10-19 C/ 4.687 × 10-26 kg
= 6.8 × 106 C kg-1

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

32𝐺𝑒  Z = 32  Q = 32 × (+)1.6 × 10 C
6 a) Ge-74 = 74 -19

= 5.12 × 10-18 C
𝑄 +4.80×10−19 C
b) 𝑛 = 𝑒
= −1.60×10−19 C = −3

There are therefore 32 – 3 = 29 electrons in this ion.

7 a) Charge on deuteron = (1 × +1.60 × 10-19 C)

= +1.60 × 10-19 C
Mass of deuteron = (1.673 × 10-27 kg) + (1.675 × 10-27 kg)
= 3.348 × 10-27 kg
Specific charge = (+1.60 × 10-19 C) / (3.348 × 10-27 kg)
= 4.78 × 107 Ckg-1
b) Charge on carbon-12 nucleus (6 protons) = (6 × +1.60 × 10-19 C)
= +9.60 × 10-19 C.
Mass of carbon-12 nucleus (6 protons + 6 neutrons)
= (6 × 1.673 × 10-27 kg) + (6 × 1.675 × 10-27 kg)
= 2.009 × 10-26 kg
Specific charge = (+9.60 × 10-19 C) / (2.009 × 10-26 kg)
= 4.78 × 107 Ckg-1
(this is the same answer numerically as the specific mass of the deuteron)
c) Charge on (oxygen-16) 2- ion (2 ‘extra’ electrons) = (2 × -1.60 × 10-19 C)
= -3.20 × 10-19 C.
Mass of (oxygen-16)2- ion (8 protons + 8 neutrons + 10 electrons)
= (8 × 1.673 × 10-27 kg) + (8 × 1.675 × 10-27 kg) + (10 × 9.11 × 10-31 C)
= 2.679 × 10-26 kg
Specific charge = (-3.20 × 10-19 C) / (2.679 × 10-26kg)
= –1.19 × 107 C kg-1
8 a) p = 86

b) n = (222 – 86) = 136

222
c) 86𝑅𝑛

63
9 a) 29𝐶𝑢 and 65
29𝐶𝑢

b) n63 = (63 – 29) = 34

n65 = (65 – 29) = 36

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

69 31
c) (63 × 100) + (65 × 100) = 43.47 + 20.15 = 63.62  63.5

The atomic mass is related to the nucleon number. Because copper has two main isotopes, in
chemistry, the atomic mass is always written as the average value of each, and this is why the
atomic mass of copper is always 63.5 on a Periodic Table.

Page 8 Test yourself

10 a) i) C and D

ii) B

iii) A and C

b) There are many short thick tracks from alpha particles and one (possibly two) longer and
thinner track(s) from beta particles.

11 Alpha particles are highly ionising and easily ionise the air between the grid and the electrode,
but beta particles and gamma rays are much less ionising and are less likely to ionise any air
between the grid and the electrode.

12 Some alpha particles have a range of about 3.6 cm in air; these come from radium-226. Others
have a longer range of about 4.7 cm and come from radium-223. The alpha particles with the
longest range must have higher energy and so come from radium-223.

Page 9 Activity
The beta particle emission spectrum of bismuth-210

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

2 10 × 10-15 J and 55 × 10-15 J

3 (186 × 10-15 J - 10 × 10-15 J) = 176 × 10-15 J

and
(186 × 10-15 J - 55 × 10-15 J) = 131 × 10-15 J

Page 10 Test yourself

238
13 92U + 21H → 238
93Np + 2 10n
238
93Np ⟶ −10e + 238
94Pu

241 237
14 95Am → 93Np + 42He
90 90 0 0
15 38Sr → 39Y + −1e + 0ν̅
32 32 0 0
16 15P → 16S + −1e + 0ν̅
238 234
17 94Pu → 92U + 42He

18 31H → 32He + −10e + 00ν̅

Page 11 Test yourself

19 a) 𝐸 = ℎ𝑓
𝐸
⇒𝑓=
ℎ
3.6×10−19 𝐽
= 6.63×10−34 𝐽𝑠

= 5.4 × 1014 Hz (2 significant figures)

b) Power = energy per photon × number of photons per second
= 3.6 × 10–19 J × 0.9 × 1017
= 0.032 W (2 significant figures)
20 a) E = hf
hc
⇒E= λ
6.63×10−34 J s×3.0×108 ms−1
= 420×10−9 m

= 4.7 × 10−19 J ≈ 5 × 10−19 J

b) Blue photons have higher energy than red photons because they have a higher frequency. This
means that they will require a higher potential difference to create them.

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

Page 13 Test yourself

𝐸 1.5×10−10 𝐽
21 𝑓 = ℎ = 6.63×10−34 Js = 2.3 × 1023 Hz

𝑐 3×108 ms−1
𝜆 = 𝑓 = 2.3×1023 Hz = 1.3 × 10−15 𝑚

The calculation on page 12 shows that photons from electron–positron have λ = 2.4 pm
2.410−12 m
1.310−15 m
= 1846

So the wavelength of photons produced in electron–positron annihilation is almost 2000 times

greater than that of those produced in proton–antiproton annihilation.
22 a) Here are some examples of correct answers:
Proton – antiproton
Electron – positron
Neutron – antineutron
b) They have the same mass-energy.

c) Their charge is different.

23 a) Pair creation

b) 2 × 1.5 × 10-10 J = 3 × 10-10 J – the rest energy of the proton-antiproton pair

c) The excess energy is transferred into kinetic energy of the proton and antiproton.

d) The energy of the photon would not be high enough: electrons and positrons are less massive
than protons and antiprotons and so can be produced by photons with lower energy.

e) It will annihilate a proton, forming a photon pair.

f) The conservation of charge would be violated.

Pages 14-17 Practice questions

1 D

2 B

3 B

4 C

5 B

6 A

7 C

8 D

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

9 B

10 C

11 a) i) Neutron [1]

ii) Electron [1]

iii) Neutron [1]

b) i) Anti-electron neutrino [1]

ii) A = 99 [1]

Z = 44 [1]

12 a) An atom / nucleus with the same atomic number / number of protons [1]
different mass / nucleon number / different number of neutrons [1]
b) 𝐴𝑍X → 𝐴−4 4
𝑍−2Y + 2He [2]

c) Strong nuclear force is very short range [1]

so once outside the nucleus the alpha particle no longer experiences the force [1]

13 a) p = 20; n = 28; e = 18 [1]

b) Charge = +2e = 2 × 1.6 × 10-19 C = 3.2 × 10-19 C [1]

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑛
c) 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑛

Mass of ion = mass of protons + mass of neutrons + mass of electrons

= (20 × 1.673 × 10-27 kg) + (28 × 1.675 × 10-27 kg) + (18 × 9.11 × 10-31 kg)
= 8.04 × 10-26 kg [1]
+3.2×10−19
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑛 = = 3.98 × 106 𝑘𝑔 [1]
8.04×10−26

14 a) Repulsive then attractive [1]

Short range [1]
Correct distance for crossover (a range of 0.1 – 1.0 fm) [1]
b) A helium nucleus (or 2p + 2n) [1]

c) 238
92 U → 23490Th + 24 [2]

15 a) The charge per unit mass of a particle. [1]

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

Number Number of neutrons Specific charge of nucleus …

of
b) Ckg-1 [1]
protons

First 92 143 d) Q = 92 × 1.6 × 10-19 = 1.47 × 10-17 C [1]

isotope m = (92 × 1.673 × 10-27) +
(143 × 1.675 × 10-27) = 3.93 × 10-25 kg [1]
−17
Q
m = 1.4710
3.9310−25
= 3.75 107 Ckg −1 [1]

Second c) 92 [1] e)
Q
= 3.7 107 = 1.4710−17
[1] 3.7 × 107
m A 1.67 10−27
isotope
−17
A1.67 10−27 = 1.47 10
3.7107
[1]
−25
A = 1.67
3.97 10
10−27
= 238 [1]
Number of neutrons = 238 – 92 = 146 [1]

16 a)
1. Select LED.
2. Observe LED by eye through blackened tube.
3. Increase potential difference across LED until photons observed.
4. Record activation voltage.
5. Repeat for other LEDs.

b) LED number Wavelength of emitted Frequency of emitted Activation

photons, /nm photons, f/Hz voltage, VA/V
1 violet 413 7.26 × 1014 3.01
2 blue 470 6.38 × 1014 2.65
3 green 545 5.50 × 1014 2.28
4 yellow 592 5.07 × 1014 2.09
5 red 625 4.80 × 1014 1.98

c)

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019
1 Particles and nuclides Answers

d) Gradient = 4.1 × 10-15 VHz-1

ℎ
e) Gradient = 𝑒

 h = gradient × e = 4.199 × 10-15 VHz-1 × 1.6 × 10-19 C = 6.72 × 10-34 Js

17 a) 𝑍 → 𝑍 − 2; 𝐴 → 𝐴 − 4

b) 𝑍 → 𝑍 + 1; 𝐴 → 𝐴

c) 𝑍 → 𝑍 + 1; 𝐴 → 𝐴 + 2

18 a) Electron (β-); anti-electron neutrino

b) p = 20 ; n = 22 ; e = 20

19 Conservation of energy requires:

2𝑚𝜇 𝑐 2 = 2ℎ𝑓

⟹ 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦, ℎ𝑓 = 𝑚𝜇 𝑐 2

mμ = 1.88 ×10-28 kg
⟹ 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = (1.88 × 10−28 kg) × (3.0 × 108 m s−1 )2

= 1.69 × 10−11 J

© Nick England, Jeremy Pollard, Nicky Thomas & Carol Davenport 2019