By: N.

A Rasih G3

1.

Page 1 of 17

2/7/2011

(a) A sample of a radioactive isotope contains N nuclei at time t. At time (t + t), it contains
(N N) nuclei of the isotope.
For the period t, state, in terms of N, N and t,
(i)

the mean activity of the sample,

activity =

(ii)

N / t (ignore any sign)

B1 [1]

the probability of decay of a nucleus.

probability =

N / N (ignore any sign)

B1 [1]

(b) A cobalt-60 source having a half-life of 5.27 years is calibrated and found to have an
activity of 3.50 105 Bq. The uncertainty in the calibration is 2%.
Calculate the length of time, in days, after the calibration has been made, for the stated
activity of 3.50 105 Bq to have a maximum possible error of 10%.
source must decay by 8%
A = A0 exp(ln2 t / T)
or A/ A0 = 1 / (2t/T)
0.92 = exp(ln2 t / 5.27) or 0.92 = 1 / (2t/5.27)
t = 0.634 years
= 230 days
(allow 2 marks for A/ A0 = 0.08, answer 7010 days
allow 1 mark for A/ A0 = 0.12, answer 5880 days)

UCLES 2009

9702/04/M/J/09

C1
C1

C1
A1

For
Examiners
Use

By: N.A Rasih G3

2.

Page 2 of 17

2/7/2011

A 0 meson is a sub-atomic particle.

A stationary 0 meson, which has mass 2.4 1028 kg, decays to form two -ray photons.
The nuclear equation for this decay is
0

+ .

(a) Explain why the two -ray photons have the same energy.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................

(b) Determine, for each -ray photon,

(i)

the energy, in joule,

(ii)

the wavelength,

UCLES 2010

9702/41/M/J/10

For
Examiners
Use2.

By: N.A Rasih G3

(iii)

UCLES 2010

Page 3 of 17

the momentum.

2/7/2011

For
Examiners
Use

9702/41/M/J/10

www.XtremePapers.net

[Turn over

By: N.A Rasih G3

3.

Page 4 of 17

2/7/2011

Americium-241 is an artificially produced radioactive element that emits -particles.

A sample of americium-241 of mass 5.1 g is found to have an activity of 5.9 105 Bq.

For
Examiners
Use

(a) Determine, for this sample of americium-241,

(i)

the number of nuclei,

(ii)

the decay constant,

(iii)

the half-life, in years.

(b) Another radioactive element has a half-life of approximately 4 hours.

Suggest why measurement of the mass and activity of a sample of this element is not
appropriate for the determination of its half-life.
..........................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................... [1]

UCLES 2010

9702/42/M/J/10

[Turn over

By: N.A Rasih G3

4.

Page 5 of 17

2/7/2011

The controlled reaction between deuterium( 21 H) and tritium( 31 H) has involved ongoing
research for many years. The reaction may be summarised as
2H
1

3H
1

4He
2

1n
0

+ Q

where Q = 17.7 MeV.

Binding energies per nucleon are shown in Fig. 8.1.
binding energy per nucleon
/ MeV
2H
1

1.12

1n
0

4He
2

7.07
Fig. 8.1

(a) Suggest why binding energy per nucleon for the neutron is not quoted.
..........................................................................................................................................
(b) Calculate the mass defect, in kg, of a helium 42He nucleus.

(c) (i)

State the name of the type of reaction illustrated by this nuclear equation.
............................................................................................................................ [1]

(ii)

UCLES 2009

Determine the binding energy per nucleon, in MeV, of tritium ( 31 H).

9702/41/O/N/09

For
Examiners
Use4

By: N.A Rasih G3

5.

Page 6 of 17

2/7/2011

(a) State what is meant by the decay constant of a radioactive isotope.

..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(b) Show that the decay constant  is related to the half-life t 1 by the expression
2

t 1 = 0.693.
2

[
(c) Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5.26 years (1.66 108 s).
A cobalt-60 source for use in a school laboratory has an activity of 1.8 105 Bq.
Calculate the mass of cobalt-60 in the source.

UCLES 2009

9702/42/O/N/09

For
Examiners
Use

mass of
Iron-56
By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 7 of 17

2/7/2011

The isotope Manganese-56 decays and undergoes -particle emission to form the stable
isotope Iron-56. The half-life for this decay is 2.6 hours.
Initially, at time t = 0, a sample of Manganese-56 has a mass of 1.4 g and there is no
Iron-56.

(a) Complete Fig. 7.1 to show the variation with time t of the mass of Iron-56 in the sample
for time t = 0 to time t = 11 hours.

10

12
t / hours

[
Fig. 7.1
(b) For the sample of Manganese-56, determine
(i)

(ii)

the initial number of Manganese-56 atoms in the sample,

the initial activity.

UCLES 20056.

9702/04/M/J/05

For
Examiners
Use

By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 8 of 17

2/7/2011

(c) Determine the time at which the ratio

For
Examiners
Use

mass of Iron-56
mass of Manganese-56
is equal to 9.0.

UCLES 2005

9702/04/M/J/05

[Turn over

By: N.A Rasih G3

7.

Page 9 of 17

2/7/2011

(a) Define the decay constant of a radioactive isotope.

..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(b) Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope having a half-life of 28.0 years. Strontium-90 has a
density of 2.54 g cm3.
A sample of Strontium-90 has an activity of 6.4 109 Bq. Calculate
(i)

the decay constant , in s1, of Strontium-90,

(ii) the mass of Strontium-90 in the sample,

UCLES 2007

9702/04/M/J/07

For
Examiners
Use

By: N.A Rasih G3

(iii)

Page 10 of 17

2/7/2011

the volume of the sample.

For
Examiners
Use

(c) By reference to your answer in (b)(iii), suggest why dust that has been contaminated
with Strontium-90 presents a serious health hazard.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................

UCLES 2007

9702/04/M/J/07

[Turn over

By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 11 of 17

2/7/2011

A positron (+10e ) is a particle that has the same mass as an electron and has a charge of
+1.6 1019 C.
A positron will interact with an electron to form two -ray photons.
0
+1e

0
1e

Assuming that the kinetic energy of the positron and the electron is negligible when they
interact,
(a) suggest why the two photons will move off in opposite directions with equal energies,
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................

(b) calculate the energy, in MeV, of one of the -ray photons.

energy = ........................................... MeV [3]

UCLES 2008

9702/04/M/J/08

For
Examiners
Use

By: N.A Rasih G3

8.

For
Examiners
Use

Page 12 of 17

2/7/2011

Fig. 7.1 illustrates the variation with nucleon number A of the binding energy per nucleon E
of nuclei.

Fig. 7.1
(a) (i)

Explain what is meant by the binding energy of a nucleus.

...................................................................................................................................

(ii)

On Fig. 7.1, mark with the letter S the region of the graph representing nuclei
having the greatest stability.

(b) Uranium-235 may undergo fission when bombarded by a neutron to produce

Xenon-142 and Strontium-90 as shown below.
235
92 U

+ 0n

142
54 Xe

90
38 Sr

+ neutrons

Determine the number of neutrons produced in this fission reaction

n

9702/04/O/N/05

By: N.A Rasih G3

(ii)

Page 13 of 17

Data for binding energies per nucleon are given in Fig. 7.2.

Fig. 7.2
Calculate
1.

the energy, in MeV, released in this fission reaction,

2.

the mass equivalent of this energy.

UCLES 2005

9702/04/O/N/05

2/7/2011

By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 14 of 17

Uranium-234 is radioactive and emits -particles at what appears to be a constant rate.

A sample of Uranium-234 of mass 2.65 g is found to have an activity of 604 Bq.
(a) Calculate, for this sample of Uranium-234,
(i)

the number of nuclei,

(ii)

(iii)

2/7/2011

the decay constant,

the half-life in years.

9702/04/O/N/06

By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 15 of 17

2/7/2011

(b) Suggest why the activity of the Uranium-234 appears to be constant.

..........................................................................................................................................
(c) Suggest why a measurement of the mass and the activity of a radioactive isotope is not
an accurate means of determining its half-life if the half-life is approximately one hour.

UCLES 2006

9702/04/O/N/06

By: N.A Rasih G3

10

Page 16 of 17

2/7/2011

(a) Explain what is meant by the binding energy of a nucleus.

..........................................................................................................................................

(b) Fig. 7.1 shows the variation with nucleon number (mass number) A of the binding energy
per nucleon EB of nuclei.
EB

A
Fig. 7.1

One particular fission reaction may be represented by the nuclear equation

235
U
92

(i)

(ii)

1
n
0

141
Ba
56

92
Kr
36

+ 3 0 n.

On Fig. 7.1, label the approximate positions of

235
U) nucleus with the symbol U,
92
141
barium ( 56Ba) nucleus with the symbol Ba,
92
krypton ( 36Kr) nucleus with the symbol Kr.

1.

the uranium (

2.

the

3.

the

[2]

The neutron that is absorbed by the uranium nucleus has very little kinetic energy.
Explain why this fission reaction is energetically possible.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

UCLES 2007

9702/04/O/N/07

For
Examiners
Use

By: N.A Rasih G3

Page 17 of 17

2/7/2011

(c) Barium-141 has a half-life of 18 minutes. The half-life of Krypton-92 is 3.0 s.

In the fission reaction of a mass of Uranium-235, equal numbers of barium and krypton
nuclei are produced.
Estimate the time taken after the fission of the sample of uranium for the ratio

For
Examiners
Use

number of Barium-141 nuclei

number of Krypton-92 nuclei
to be approximately equal to 8.

UCLES 2007

9702/04/O/N/07

[Turn over