Nuclear Radiation | Edexcel A-Level Physics (9PH0)
Nuclear Radiation
- 82 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Paper 2: Advanced Physics II
- Paper 2 and Paper 3
Paper 2 content covering binding energy and the curve that explains both fission and fusion, the three types of nuclear radiation and how they are absorbed, nuclear equations, and the random, spontaneous nature of radioactive decay..
It covers mass deficit, binding energy and the atomic mass unit, binding energy per nucleon, fission and fusion, background radiation and the three types of nuclear radiation, ionising power, penetration and changes in the nucleus, nuclear equations and investigating gamma absorption, activity, the decay constant and half-life and decay graphs and half-life calculations.
Sample questions from Nuclear Radiation
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Mass deficit, binding energy and the atomic mass unit
State the equation linking a change in energy to the associated change in mass:
Show the answer
ΔE = c²Δm, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum. -
Mass deficit, binding energy and the atomic mass unit
How much energy in joules is equivalent to a mass of 1 u?
Show the answer
ΔE = 1.66 × 10⁻²⁷ × (3.00 × 10⁸)² = 1.49 × 10⁻¹⁰ J. -
Binding energy per nucleon, fission and fusion
What happens in nuclear fission?
Show the answer
A heavy nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei of roughly comparable size, usually releasing two or three neutrons as well. -
Binding energy per nucleon, fission and fusion
Why can no energy be released by fusing nuclei heavier than iron?
Show the answer
Beyond iron the binding energy per nucleon decreases, so the product would be less tightly bound and energy would have to be supplied rather than released. -
Background radiation and the three types of nuclear radiation
How would you obtain a reliable value for the background count rate?
Show the answer
Record the counts over a long period with no source nearby and divide by the time to get a mean count rate. -
Background radiation and the three types of nuclear radiation
What is gamma radiation?
Show the answer
It is a high-energy, very short wavelength electromagnetic photon emitted by a nucleus, carrying no charge and no rest mass. -
Ionising power, penetration and changes in the nucleus
A beam containing alpha and beta-minus particles passes through an electric field. How do their deflections compare?
Show the answer
They deflect in opposite directions because their charges have opposite signs, and the beta particles deflect far more because they have a much smaller mass. -
Ionising power, penetration and changes in the nucleus
In beta-plus decay, what happens inside the nucleus and how does the proton number change?
Show the answer
A proton changes into a neutron, emitting a positron and an electron neutrino, so the proton number decreases by 1 while the nucleon number stays the same.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Mass deficit, binding energy and the atomic mass unit | Recall questions on binding energy and mass deficit, why a nucleus is lighter than its nucleons, ΔE = c²Δm, and the atomic mass unit in SI units, joules and MeV. | 11 |
| Binding energy per nucleon, fission and fusion | Recall questions on why binding energy per nucleon measures stability, the shape of the curve and the nuclide at its peak, and why fusion needs high temperature and density. | 12 |
| Background radiation and the three types of nuclear radiation | Recall questions on the sources of background radiation, correcting a count rate for it, and what alpha, beta-minus and gamma radiation are. | 10 |
| Ionising power, penetration and changes in the nucleus | Recall questions on ranges and absorbers, the ranking for ionising ability and the link with penetration, deflection in an electric field, and how each decay changes the nucleus. | 10 |
| Nuclear equations and investigating gamma absorption | Recall questions on which quantities balance, writing alpha and beta-minus equations, the lead absorption experiment and its graph, and half-value thickness. | 8 |
| Activity, the decay constant and half-life | Recall questions on decay being spontaneous and random, the definitions and units of activity and decay constant, and how λ = ln 2 / t½ follows. | 11 |
| Decay graphs and half-life calculations | Recall questions on the exponential equations and their logarithmic form, which graph gives the decay constant, reading a half-life from a curve, and why heating changes nothing. | 20 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Physics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,616 questions with their answers.