25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
Refer to the Physics A datasheet for data, formulae and relationships information.
1 Radium-224 is a radioactive isotope which undergoes spontaneous alpha
particle decay.
a State what is meant by:
i the term isotope
(2 marks)
ii the term spontaneous decay
(2 marks)
iii the decay constant of a radioactive nucleus.
(1 mark)
b Radium-224 has a half-life of 3.6 days and emits -particles with energy of
5.68 MeV.
Calculate:
i the decay constant of radium-224, stating the unit in which it is measured
(2 marks)
ii the activity of a sample of pure radium-224 of mass 4.4 g
(4 marks)
iii the power, in watts, released by the sample of radium-224 in ii.
(2 marks)
2 a i Define the half-life of a radioactive sample.
(1 mark)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
ii A geological rock sample contains two radioactive isotopes, X and Y.
In the sample there are N nuclei of X and 5N nuclei of Y. The half-life of
isotope X is half that of isotope Y. Y is not the product of X decaying nor
is X the product of Y decaying.
The sample is stored for a time equal to two half-lives of isotope Y.
Determine magnitude of the ratio
Number of nuclei of Y
Number of nuclei of X
at the end of the storage period.
(3 marks)
b Polonium-210 210
84 Po is an alpha particle emitter with a decay constant of
8 1
5.80 ×10 s .
i Complete the decay equation below.
___ __
210
84 Po ___ Pb __
(2 marks)
ii Calculate the activity of 1.80 mg of polonium-210.
(3 marks)
iii How many nuclei of the polonium remain after 98 days?
(2 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
c Table 1 shows some properties of the ionising radiations -, -particles, and
-rays, represents elementary charge, c is the speed of light and u is unified
atomic mass unit.
Complete the table.
charge e
mass 4u
typical
0.1 c 0.9 c
speed
penetrating stopped by few
ability cm of lead
Table 1
(4 marks)
3 Two students, F and G, are asked to determine the half-life of a small amount of
a radioactive isotope. They are told that the expected value is about 10 min.
a Write a plan of how the students should perform the experiment to obtain the
necessary data. Include the equipment used, measurements required, and
any safety precautions necessary.
(6 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
b The two students decide to determine the half-life of the isotope from their
data using different methods.
i Figure 1 shows the graph drawn by student F who plotted activity of the
isotope against the time, t.
Figure 1
Explain how you would use Figure 1 to determine the half-life of the
radioisotope and hence determine its value, in minutes.
(3 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
ii Figure 2 shows the graph drawn by student G who plotted lnA against the
time, t.
Figure 2
Explain how you would use Figure 2 to determine the half-life of the
radioisotope and hence determine its value, in minutes.
(3 marks)
4 Cobalt-60 60
27 Co is commonly used as a source of radiation. It decays by
emission to form nickel-60. The nickel isotope formed is in an excited state and
emits two photons as it falls to its ground state.
a Write down a nuclear equation for the decay of cobalt-60 to form the excited
nickel nucleus.
Name the other particle emitted at the same time as the particle.
(3 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
b Explain how the particles can be excluded from the radiation emitted by
the source and state what effect this may have on the radiation.
(2 marks)
c An experiment was carried out using the gamma radiation from 60 27 Co to
determine the effect of placing various thicknesses of lead between the
source, S, and the detector, D.
Figure 3 shows the basic arrangement used.
Figure 3
Explain how the apparatus may be used to obtain data which can be used to
verify that the absorption of radiation may be modelled by the equation
N N0e x
where
N is the number of counts per second recorded by the detector when a
thickness of x metres of lead is placed between S and D,
N0 is the number of counts per second recorded by the detector without
lead being present,
is a constant, linear absorption coefficient.
You should include a description of what measurements need to be taken
and any precautions necessary to ensure accurate results.
To verify the expression a straight-line graph is required. Derive a suitable
linear equation and explain how it may be used to determine the value of .
(6 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
5 Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon which decays by emission. It has
a half-life of 5700 years.
a i Explain the meaning of the term half-life.
(1 mark)
14
ii State the composition of a 6 C nucleus.
(2 marks)
14
b C is produced when a nitrogen nucleus 147 N first absorbs a neutron in the
6
atmosphere and then the resulting nuclide emits a proton.
14 14
i State the nuclear reaction equation for the production of 6 C from 7 N.
(2 marks)
ii Write down the stable nuclide into which 146 C decays by emission.
(2 marks)
c Living plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a small quantity of
which contains 146 C . The activity A0 from a living plant remains constant but
once the plant dies, the activity decays according to the expression
t
A A0e
where A is the activity at time, t.
Calculate:
i the decay constant λ for 146 C
(2 marks)
the activity after 40 000 years
ii the ratio .
the initial activity A0
(2 marks)
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25 Radioactivity
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions
d ‘For objects over 40 000 years old the emission from 146 C becomes
indistinguishable from the background count’. Explain the implications of this
statement, making clear the meaning of the term background count.
(2 marks)
OCR Physics A, January 2002
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