CIE A Level Physics

Topic Questions

A LevelPhysicsCIETopic Questions11. Particle Physics11.1 Atoms, Nuclei & Radiation

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2020

Last exams 2024

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11.1 Atoms, Nuclei & Radiation

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1a
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A nucleus X decays by emitting a β+ particle to form a new nucleus, begin mathsize 16px style Na presubscript 11 presuperscript 23 end style.

State the number of protons and the number of neutrons in nucleus X.


number of protons = ...............................................................

number of neutrons = ...............................................................

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1b
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State one similarity between a β+ particle and a β– particle.

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1c
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State the quark composition of a meson.

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1d
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A hadron consists of two down quarks and a charm quark.

Determine the charge of the hadron. Show your working.



charge = ..................................... C 

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2a
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The deflection of α-particles by a thin metal foil is investigated with the arrangement shown in Fig 1.1. 

11-1-2a-m-rutherford-scattering-apparatus

Fig 1.1

The detector of α-particles, D, is moved around the path labelled WXY.
 
State the environment the apparatus must be enclosed in and explain why this is required for the experiment.

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2b
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Explain the readings detected by D and the conclusions that were made about the nature of atoms at points

 
(i)
W,
[2]
 
(ii)
X.
[2]

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2c
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State what the readings detected by D at position Y conclude about the charge of the nucleus. Explain why.

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2d
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A beam of α-particles produces a current of 3.5 pA. Calculate the number of α-particles per second passing a point in the beam.

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3a
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When a nucleus of plutonium-239 absorbs a neutron, the following reaction may take place. 

         P presubscript 94 presuperscript 239 u space plus space n presubscript b presuperscript a space rightwards arrow space X presubscript 54 presuperscript x e space plus space space Z presubscript y presuperscript 103 r space plus space 3 n presubscript b presuperscript a space 

State the values of a, b, x and y.

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3b
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State two quantities, other than the proton and neutron number, that are conserved in the fission reaction in part (a).

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3c
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A Plutonium-239 nucleus has a mean density of 1.3 × 1017 kg m–3. 

Show that the radius of a Plutonium-239 nucleus is 9.0 × 10–15 m.

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3d
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Plutonium-239 is an α-emitter whilst Uranium-237 is a β-emitter.

Aside from their structure, distinguish between an α-particle and a β-particle.

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