Physics · AQA 7408 · Topic 3.8

Nuclear physics

Rutherford scattering, radioactivity and half-life, nuclear radius, binding energy, fission and fusion.

  • 8 sub-topics
  • Taught in Year 13
  • 79 practice questions
  • 8 animated lessons
Practice questions (79) Lessons Worksheets All AQA Physics topics

What the specification says

Every sub-topic AQA can examine in this topic, with its reference number from the official specification. The Y12 and Y13 tags show when each sub-topic is usually taught.

  1. 3.8.1 Radioactivity
  2. 3.8.1.1Rutherford scatteringY13
  3. 3.8.1.2α, β and γ radiationY13
  4. 3.8.1.3Radioactive decayY13
  5. 3.8.1.4Nuclear instabilityY13
  6. 3.8.1.5Nuclear radiusY13
  7. 3.8.1.6Mass and energyY13
  8. 3.8.1.7Induced fissionY13
  9. 3.8.1.8Safety aspectsY13

Try 3 questions

Easy, medium and hard questions from this topic, each with a worked solutions and the mark for every step. All 79 questions in this topic, free, no account needed.

Nuclear radiation

Not needed for Year 12Easy

Background radiation · Year 13 · 3 marks

A Geiger counter records 320 counts per minute near a source. The background count is 30 counts per minute.
  1. (a)
    Give two sources of background radiation.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    Calculate the corrected count rate.
    (1)

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Part (a)2 marks

  1. Radon gas from rocks.
  2. Cosmic rays (or medical sources, food).

Part (b)1 mark

  1. C=290 min−1C = 290\ \mathrm{min^{-1}}

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Nuclear radiation

Not needed for Year 12Medium

Half-life · Year 13 · 4 marks

A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 6.0 hours.
  1. (a)
    Calculate its decay constant in s−1\mathrm{s^{-1}}.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    What fraction of the original nuclei remains after 24 hours?
    (2)

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Part (a)2 marks

  1. The decay constant and half-life are linked by λt1/2=ln⁡2\lambda t_{1/2} = \ln 2. Convert hours to seconds.λ\lambda=ln⁡2t1/2{}= \dfrac{\ln 2}{t_{1/2}}=0.6936.0×3600{}= \dfrac{0.693}{6.0 \times 3600}
  2. Give the unit.λ\lambda=3.2×10−5 s−1{}= 3.2 \times 10^{-5}\ \mathrm{s^{-1}}

Part (b)2 marks

  1. Count how many half-lives fit into the time.24 hours = 4 half-lives
  2. Each half-life halves the number left.Fraction =(12)4= \left(\tfrac{1}{2}\right)^4=116{}= \tfrac{1}{16}

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Nuclear radiation

Not needed for Year 12Hard

Binding energy · Year 13 · 4 marks

The nuclear mass of carbon-12 is 11.996708 u. Proton mass 1.007276 u; neutron mass 1.008665 u.
  1. (a)
    Calculate the mass defect.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    Calculate the binding energy per nucleon in MeV.
    (2)

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Part (a)2 marks

  1. 6(1.007276)6(1.007276)+6(1.008665){}+ 6(1.008665)−11.996708{}- 11.996708
  2. Δm=0.09894 u\Delta m = 0.09894\ \mathrm{u}

Part (b)2 marks

  1. 1 u≡931.5 MeV1\text{ u} \equiv 931.5\text{ MeV}
  2. E/A=7.68 MeVE/A = 7.68\ \mathrm{MeV}

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