IGCSEPhysicsEdexcelExam Questions7. Radioactivity & ParticlesProperties of Radiation

Properties of Radiation (Edexcel IGCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

2 hours27 questions
Easy
Medium
Hard
11 mark

Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon.

It has the symbol

7-1-mcq-q6-question

The number of nucleons in a carbon-14 nucleus is 

  • 6

  • 8

  • 14

  • 20

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

When carbon-14 decays it emits a beta particle.

What is a beta particle?

  • An electron

  • A neutron

  • A nucleus

  • A proton

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

31 mark

Which of these is the same as an electron? 

  • Alpha particle

  • Beta particle

  • Gamma ray

  • X-ray

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

4a2 marks

Sodium-24 is a radioactive isotope.

What are isotopes?

How did you do?

4b4 marks

Sodium-24 decays by emitting beta particles.

(i)
Describe the nature of a beta particle.
(1)
(ii)
Name a piece of equipment that can be used to detect beta particles.
(1)
(iii)
Describe how a detector can be used with sheets of lead, aluminium and paper to show that a sample of sodium-24 emits beta particles.
(2)

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

5a3 marks

Scientists use the term radiation in different ways.

Sometimes radiation means streams of particles and sometimes radiation means high frequency waves.

Draw a straight line from each description to the type of radiation it describes.

 

7-1-sqs-q6new-question

How did you do?

5b1 mark

People who work with ionising radiation need to measure the amount of radiation they are exposed to. For many years, a film badge was used to detect the radiation.

State the name of another device that can be used to detect alpha radiation.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

62 marks

The radioactive nuclei in a source emit beta radiation.

What effect does the emission of a beta particle have on a nucleus?

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

7a2 marks

There are different types of ionising radiation.  

7-1-12-a

Complete the table to show the properties of each type. 

How did you do?

7b1 mark

A radioactive source contains strontium-90.

A strontium-90 nucleus emits a beta particle.  

1-7-1-13

Complete the equation to show how strontium-90 decays. 

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

1a1 mark

Radon is a gas produced by some types of rocks.

Radon is a natural source of radioactivity.

What is the name for this radioactivity?

  • Chain reaction

  • Background radiation

  • Radioactive dating

  • Radiotherapy

Choose your answer

1b1 mark

Radon-222 and radon-220 are both isotopes of radon. A nucleus of radon-222 has 86 protons.

How many protons are there in a nucleus of radon-220?

  • 86

  • less than 86

  • more than 86

  • none

Choose your answer

1c1 mark

Radon-222 and radon-220 are both isotopes of radon. A nucleus of radon-222 has 136 neutrons.

How many neutrons are there in a nucleus of radon-220? 

  • 86

  • 134

  • 136

  • 220

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

Vanadium-50 is an isotope of vanadium.

It has the symbol space presubscript 23 presuperscript 50 straight V

The number of neutrons in a vanadium-50 nucleus is

  • 23

  • 27

  • 33

  • 50

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

3a1 mark

Which of these particles has the largest mass? 

  • Alpha particle

  • Beta particle

  • Neutron

  • Proton

Choose your answer

3b1 mark

Which of these particles has the largest charge? 

  • Alpha particle

  • Beta particle

  • Neutron

  • Proton

Choose your answer

3c1 mark

The maximum range of a beta particle in air is about

  • 50 mm

  • 50 cm

  • 50 m

  • 50 km

Choose your answer

3d1 mark

When a nucleus emits a beta particle 

  • The nucleon number decreases by 1 

  • The nucleon number increases by 1 

  • The proton number decreases by 1 

  • The proton number increases by 1 

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

41 mark

When an unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle, its atomic (proton) number 

  • Increases by 1

  • Stays the same

  • Decreases by 2

  • Decreases by 4

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

51 mark

Which of these has a mass (nucleon) number of 4? 

  • Alpha particle

  • Beta particle

  • Gamma ray

  • X-ray

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

61 mark

Which of these is the most ionising? 

  • Alpha particle

  • Beta particle

  • Gamma ray

  • X-ray

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

71 mark

When an unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle, its mass (nucleon) number 

  • Increases by 1

  • Stays the same

  • Decreases by 2

  • Decreases by 4

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

8a1 mark

lodine-131 is a radioactive isotope that emits beta particles. 

The equation for this decay is  

mcq-7-1-20

The mass (nucleon) number for Xe is 

  • −1

  • 0

  • 53

  • 131

Choose your answer

8b1 mark

The atomic (proton) number for iodine-131 is 

  • 0

  • 53

  • 78

  • 131

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

91 mark

Which of these describes what happens to the strontium-90 nucleus when it emits a beta particle?  

  • The number of protons stays the same 

  • The number of protons increases 

  • The number of neutrons stays the same 

  • The number of neutrons increases 

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

10a6 marks

Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen that decays by emitting beta particles. It is used in some luminous signs. 

The symbol for tritium is H presubscript 1 presuperscript 3.

(i)
Determine the number of protons and the number of neutrons in a single atom of tritium.
(2)
(ii)
Describe three differences between an alpha particle and a beta particle.
(3)
(iii)
Suggest why tritium cannot emit alpha particles.
(1)

How did you do?

10b2 marks

Tritium is used in this luminous sign.

7-1-sqs-q1b-question

In this sign

  • The letters are made up of glass tubes containing tritium gas
  • The inside of each tube is coated with a phosphor
  • The phosphor emits light when beta particles hit it

Suggest why this sign is safe to use even though beta particles are ionising and can be dangerous.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

11a2 marks

A teacher uses this apparatus to demonstrate radioactivity to his students.

7-1-sqs-q2a-question

The teacher needs to take some safety precautions.

Put one tick (✓) on each row to show whether the safety precaution is needed or not. Two have been done for you.

7-1-sqs-q2a-question-diagram-2

How did you do?

11b3 marks

The teacher uses this method to investigate radioactivity.

  • Place the detector 10 cm from the radioactive source
  • Record the count with different absorbent materials between the source and the detector
  • Repeat the investigation using a different radioactive source
  • Also repeat the investigation without a source

The table shows his results.

7-1-sqs-q2b-question

(i)
State why the teacher keeps the distance constant between the source and the detector. 
(1)
(ii)
Explain why there is a reading when no source is used.
(2)

How did you do?

11c6 marks
(i)
Explain which of the materials the teacher used is the best absorber of radiation.
(3)
(ii)
A student makes this conclusion.
 
'Stone is the worst absorber of radiation.'
 

Evaluate this conclusion

(3)

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

12a3 marks

The table describes the nuclei of four atoms.

7-1-mcqs-q2-question

(i)
Which two nuclei have the same number of protons? 
(1)
(ii)
Which two nuclei have the same number of nucleons? 
(1)
(iii)
Which two nuclei have the same number of neutrons? 
(1)

How did you do?

12b3 marks

All of the nuclei are unstable and have a different half-life. 

(i)
Explain what is meant by the term unstable.
(1)
(ii)
Explain what is meant by the term half-life
(2)

How did you do?

12c5 marks

When plutonium decays, it emits an alpha particle and a gamma ray.

(i)
Complete the decay equation for plutonium-238.
(4)
  
7-1-sqs-q6d-question
(ii)
Use information from the table in part (a) to identify element X.
(1)

How did you do?

12d3 marks

The nucleus of americium-238 can absorb an electron. When this happens, one of the protons in the nucleus becomes a neutron.

This equation describes the process.

emVV90OS_7-1-sqs-q6e-question

(i)
Describe how this process affects the proton number and the nucleon number of the nucleus that absorbs the electron.
(2)
(ii)
Identify the new nucleus formed by this process.
(1)

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

135 marks

The table shows the nature of alpha and beta particles. 

p_bgScbW_7-1-q10-

Explain why alpha particles and beta particles have different penetrating powers. 

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

11 mark

A doctor uses gamma radiation to produce an image of a person's brain.

A radioactive isotope called technetium-99m is used in this process.

Technetium-99m emits gamma rays and has a short half-life.

7-1-mcqs-q1-question

Gamma radiation consists of 

  • Electromagnetic waves

  • Negatively charged particles

  • Positively charged particles

  • Unstable atoms

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

The table describes the nuclei of four atoms.

7-1-mcqs-q2-question

Atoms contain electrons.

Which nucleus needs the largest number of electrons to form a neutral atom?

  • Uranium-234

  • Uranium-235

  • Plutonium-238

  • Americium-238

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

31 mark

Tellurium-120 is an isotope of tellurium.

It has the symbol Te presubscript 52 presuperscript 120

The number of protons, neutrons and electrons in a neutral tellurium-120 atom is

  • p = 120

    n = 52

    e = 120

  • p = 120

    n = 68

    e = 68

  • p = 52

    n = 120

    e = 120

  • p = 52

    n = 68

    e = 52

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

41 mark

Compared to a beta particle, an alpha particle 

  • Causes less ionisation 

  • Has less charge 

  • Has less mass 

  • Has less penetrating power

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

5a3 marks

The grid shows the number of neutrons and the number of protons in some isotopes formed during successive radioactive decays.

7-1-sqs-q7a-question

(i)
What are isotopes?
(2)
ii)
Why are some isotopes described as stable?
(1)

How did you do?

5b4 marks
(i)
Use the grid in part (a) to calculate the number of neutrons in a Po presubscript blank presuperscript 210 nucleus.
(1)
(ii)
Describe what happens to the number of protons and the number of neutrons when a nucleus of Pb presubscript blank presuperscript 210 decays to form Bi presubscript blank presuperscript 210.
(2)
(iii)
State the type of decay that occurs when Pb presubscript blank presuperscript 210 decays to form Bi presubscript blank presuperscript 210.
(1)

How did you do?

5c2 marks

Explain why the mass (nucleon) number and the atomic (proton) number do not change when a gamma ray is emitted from a nucleus.

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

6a2 marks

Alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays have different properties.

Complete the table by ticking the correct type of radiation for each property. The first one has been done for you.

7-1-sqs-q7a-new

How did you do?

6b3 marks

The symbol for the structure of an alpha particle is

7-1-sqs-q7b-new

(i)
State the number of neutrons and the number of protons in an alpha particle.
(2)
(ii)
Suggest why alpha radiation is more ionising than beta or gamma radiation. 
(1)

How did you do?

Did this page help you?

74 marks

Scientists use deflection in an electric field to help distinguish between different types of radiation.

The diagram shows a beam containing several types of radiation. This beam travels in a vacuum between two charged plates.

Some of the radiation is deflected upwards, some is deflected downwards, and some are not deflected at all. 

7-1-sqs-q9-new-question

Put one tick in each row to show the correct deflection for each type of radiation.

One has been done for you.  

7-1-sqs-q9-new-question-diagram-2

How did you do?

Did this page help you?