Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St.

Mary High & Annotto Bay High School

Physics Tutorial – Section E
June 1997, Paper III, Question #2

a) The table below shows some of the properties of the emissions from radioactive substances.
Type of Radiation Range in Air Penetration
A Greater than 1 m Passes through thin sheet of lead
B 6 cm Stopped by sheet of paper
C 70 cm Stopped by sheet of aluminium 3 mm thick

Identify A, B and C. (3 marks)

b) The diagram below shows a method that is used in some factories to check on the thickness of
the polythene being produced. The Geiger-Muller tube is about 15 cm from the radioactive
source, and is used to detect radiation that has passed through the polythene.

i) State, giving TWO reasons, which type of radiation would be most suitable for this purpose.
(2 marks)
ii) State and explain the effects on the ratemeter reading of variation in the thickness of the
polythene. (2 marks)
c) A magnesium (Mg) nucleus contains 15 neutrons and 12 protons. It emits a beta particle and
becomes a nucleus of aluminium (Al).
i) Write an equation for this decay. (3 marks)

ii) In the laboratory, a scientist attempts to find the half-life of this isotope of magnesium. The
source is placed near a detector and the count rate recorded every five minutes. Her results are
shown below.
Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023
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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St. Mary High & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial – Section E

Time/min 0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0

Count Rate/min-1 460 267 156 104 60 50 32 34

In the absence of the radioactive source, the ratemeter records 20 counts per minute.
▪ Why is it necessary to check the count rate without the source being present?
(1 mark)
▪ Plot a graph of corrected count rate against time and use it to find the average value of the
half-life. (8 marks)
▪ Explain why the graph does not necessarily pass through all the plotted points.
(1 mark)
Total = 20 marks
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June 1999, Paper II, Question #5

Technetium (Tc) is an artificial element which is used as a radioactive tracer. In deciding which
radioactive nuclide to use, an important consideration is the half-life of the nuclide.

a) i) State what is meant by the half-life of a nuclide. (1 mark)

ii) Would an entire sample have decayed after two half-lives? Give a reason for your answer.
(2 marks)
b) In order to find the half-life of technetium, an experiment was carried out starting with a
sample of 24 g and measuring the quantity remaining every four hours.

Figure 6 below shows how the mass of technetium remaining varies with time.

Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St. Mary High & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial – Section E

Figure 6
i) Use Figure 6 to make TWO separate determinations of the half-life of technetium.
(4 marks)
ii) Radium-226 has a half-life of 1600 years. Using the axes in Figure 6 above, sketch a graph
to show the variation of mass with time of a sample of 24 g of radium-226 over the same time
period. (2marks)

99
c) Technetium emits only gamma rays. If the isotope of technetium used was Tc, write the
43

symbol for the nucleus that is left when a gamma ray has been emitted, and state the number of
protons and neutrons in this nucleus. (3 marks)

d) Identify a situation in which a radioactive tracer may be used and state the properties of a
tracer that would make it suitable for this use. (3 marks)
Total = 15 marks
................................................................................................................................................

Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St. Mary High & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial – Section E
June 2006 Paper III, Question #5

a) Radioactive isotopes have been used in the following areas:

i) Medicine

ii) Industry and Agriculture

Describe briefly, TWO useful applications in EACH of areas i) and ii). Give an example of the
isotope or type of radiation in EACH of your four applications. (8 marks)

b) i) Represent EACH of the following nuclear reactions in the standard form:

o Bismuth (Bi) with a mass number of 212 and an atomic number of 83 emits radiation to
form Thallium (Tl) with a mass number of 208 and an atomic number of 81.

o Carbon (C) with a mass number of 14 and an atomic number of 6 emits radiation to form
Nitrogen (N) with a mass number of 14 and an atomic number of 7.

o More unstable Technetium (Tc) with a mass of 99 and an atomic mass of 43 emits
radiation to form more stable Technetium (Tc) with same mass and atomic numbers.

ii) Determine the number of protons in Bismuth and calculate the number of neutrons in that
same element.

iii) Calculate the release in energy in the first nuclear reaction at a).

Element Atomic mass unit

Bi 211.99127 u
Tl 207.98201 u
Helium 4.002604 u

u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg c = 3.0 x 108 m s-1

(12 marks)
Total = 20 marks
………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

May 2013, paper II, Question #6, Section B

a) Describe an experiment to compare the ranges of β and γ emission in aluminum.
(6 marks)
b) A liquid fluoride thorium reactor is said to be the new “green” nuclear reactor.

i) Rewrite the nuclear sequence to show how thorium-232 becomes uranium-233, a nuclear fuel,
by calculating the numerical values of x, y, u, v and z.

Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St. Mary High & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial – Section E

1 232 x
n + Th → Th
0 90 y

x 0 u
Th → e + Pa
y -1 v

x 0 233
Pa → e + U
y -1 z
(5 marks)
ii) The equation representing the fission of U-233 is:
233 133 98 1
→
1
U + n Sb + Nb + 3n + energy
92 0 51 41 0

Table 4 provides the data for these nuclides where u=1.66 x 10-27kg.

Table 4
Nuclide Atomic Mass/u
U 233.03964
Sb 132.91525
Nb 97.91033
n 1.00867
233
Calculate the energy released in the fission of U.
92

c = 3.0 x 108 ms-1

(4 marks)
Total = 15 marks
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Specimen Paper 2012, Paper II, Question #5, Section B

a) i) Describe an experiment to compare the ranges of α, β and γ emissions. (5 marks)

ii) Which of these emissions would not be deflected by strong electric or magnetic fields?
24
(1 mark)
b) i) Na is a beta emitter. It decays to Mg with a half-life of 15 hours. Write a nuclear equation
11

24
for the decay of Na. (3 marks)
11

ii) A sample contains 24 g of Na-24. How long would it take for 21 g to decay? (4 marks)

iii) Discuss ONE safety measure necessary when handling a sample of Na-24. (2 marks)

Total = 15 marks
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023

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Happy Grove, Titchfield, Seaforth, St. Mary High & Annotto Bay High School
Physics Tutorial – Section E
June 1998, Paper II, Question #4

a) Radioactive tracers are sometimes used in medicine. Describe how a radioactive isotope is
used as a tracer in the human body. (2 marks)

b) Nuclei which emit only α – particles are not normally used as radioactive tracers in the human
body. Give two reasons why this is so. (2 marks)

131
c) The radioactive isotope of iodine, I, is used to study blood circulation. This isotope has a
53

half-life of 8 days.
i) Explain what is meant by the HALF-LIFE of a radioactive isotope. (1 mark)
ii) Give the symbol for another possible isotope of iodine. (2 marks)
iii) Other isotopes are available with half-lives of 20 seconds and 2 years. Explain why 8 days is
a suitable half-life for medical uses. (2 marks)

131
iv) A sample of I is introduced into a person’s body. After how many days will 7/8 of the
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sample have decayed?131 (3 marks)

131
d) When a nucleus of 53I decays it emits a beta particle and a gamma radiation and becomes
xenon, for which the symbol is Xe. Write the equation for the nuclear reaction to represent this
decay. (2 marks)
Total = 14 marks
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mikhael V. Davis JP Revised: 5/4/2023

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