Physics · Pearson Edexcel 9PH0 · Topic 11

Nuclear radiation

Binding energy, fission and fusion, the properties of nuclear radiation and radioactive decay.

  • 10 sub-topics
  • Taught in Year 13
  • 89 practice questions
  • 10 animated lessons
Practice questions (89) Lessons Worksheets All Edexcel Physics topics

What the specification says

Every sub-topic Pearson Edexcel 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. 164Binding energy and mass deficitY13
  2. 165Atomic mass unitY13
  3. 166Fission and fusionY13
  4. 167Conditions for fusionY13
  5. 168Background radiationY13
  6. 169Alpha, beta and gamma radiationY13
  7. 170Nuclear equationsY13
  8. 171CP15: Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation by leadY13
  9. 172Random nature of radioactive decayY13
  10. 173Half-life and decay equationsY13

Try 3 questions

Easy, medium and hard questions from this topic, each with a worked solutions and the mark for every step. All 89 questions in this topic, free, no account needed.

Nuclear radiation

Not needed for Year 12Easy

The atomic mass unit · Year 13 · 2 marks

A particle has mass 1.00728 u.
  1. (a)
    Convert this mass to kilograms.
    (1)
  2. (b)
    Calculate its rest energy in MeV.
    (1)

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Part (a)1 mark

  1. mm=1.67×10−27 kg{}= 1.67 \times 10^{-27}\ \mathrm{kg}

Part (b)1 mark

  1. E=938 MeVE = 938\ \mathrm{MeV}

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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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