GCSEScienceOCRCombined Science A (Gateway)PhysicsExam QuestionsRadioactivityUses & Hazards of Radiation

Uses & Hazards of Radiation (OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway): Physics): Exam Questions

Exam code: J250

35 mins6 questions

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Uses & Hazards of Radiation

1a1 mark

A student does an experiment with radioactive materials.

  • He investigates how the activity of radiation changes with distance.

  • In the experiment, the radiation moves from the radioactive source to a detector.

  • He measures the counts per minute at the detector.

q17-paper2-specimen-ocr-gcse-physics

The table shows the results.

Distance between source and detector (cm)

Count rate (counts per minute)

10

1000

20

240

40

60

80

20

The student could not take an accurate reading at 0 cm.

Suggest a reason why.

How did you do?

1b3 marks

i) Plot the results on the graph below.

Two points for 10 cm and 40 cm have been plotted for you.

Join the points with a smooth curve.

q17bi-paper2-specimen-ocr-gcse-physics

[2]

ii) Use the graph to estimate the count rate at 30 cm.

Answer = ......................... counts per minute [1]

How did you do?

1c3 marks

Higher Tier Only

 i) What pattern is shown by the results as the distance is increased from 20 to 40 cm?

[2]

ii) The student wants to find the count rate at 5 cm.

Estimate the count rate at a distance of 5 cm.

Answer = .......................... counts per minute [1]

How did you do?

1d4 marks

The student considers the risks of doing experiments with radioactive sources.

He does experiments with two radioactive sources, A and B.

He writes down his conclusions about the sources in the table below.

Radioactive material

State

Distance from source

Irradiation risk

Contamination risk

A

solid

1 m

high

none

A

solid

4 m

low

none

B

gas

1 m

very high

high

B

gas

4 m

high

high

Describe the difference in the risks for irradiation and contamination for A and B.

How did you do?

2a2 marks

Nuclear radiation, such as gamma, is used to irradiate some fresh food to increase its ‘shelf-life’ and make it last longer.

Fresh herbs and spices are dried and irradiated with gamma rays.

Explain the difference between nuclear irradiation and nuclear contamination.

How did you do?

2b2 marks

Explain how the gamma rays can increase the ‘shelf-life’ of herbs and spices to make them last longer.

How did you do?

2c2 marks

Carbon is a common element. Carbon has two different isotopes called carbon-12 and carbon-14. Both of these isotopes have six protons in the nucleus.

i) Carbon-14 is radioactive and carbon-12 is not radioactive.

Explain why some isotopes are radioactive.

[1]

ii) Describe how the nucleus of carbon-12 is different to the nucleus of carbon-14.

[1]

How did you do?

2d6 marks

Decay equations are used to show the type of emission from different radioactive elements.

i) Complete the decay equation for alpha emission.

straight U presubscript 92 presuperscript 230 space rightwards arrow He presubscript 2 presuperscript space 4 end presuperscript space plus space Th presubscript.... end presubscript presuperscript.... end presuperscript

[2]

ii) Complete the decay equation for beta emission.

Bi presubscript 83 presuperscript 214 space rightwards arrow straight beta presubscript.... end presubscript presuperscript space.... end presuperscript space plus space Po presubscript 84 presuperscript 214

[2]

iii) Complete the decay equation for gamma emission.

straight U presubscript.... end presubscript presuperscript 235 space rightwards arrow straight gamma presubscript 0 presuperscript 0 space plus space straight U presubscript 92 presuperscript.... end presuperscript

[2]

How did you do?

3a1 mark

Define the term "half-life".

How did you do?

3b3 marks

Complete the sentences.

The particles in _______ radiation have a greater mass than those in _______ radiation.

_______ radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation and does not have mass. 

How did you do?

3c5 marks

Extended tier only

Three radioactive sources, X, Y and Z, are in a lab. One emits only alpha radiation, one emits only beta radiation and one emits only gamma radiation.

(i) Draw a line between the type of radiation and its charge.

screenshot-2023-02-06-at-16-38-06

[2]

 

(ii) To determine which source emits which type of radiation, a scientist places a positive charge near the sources, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

5-2-3c-e-alpha-beta-gamma-deflection

State the type of radiation coming from each source.

[3]

How did you do?