Topic: Radioactivity

Subject: Physics

Grade: IG-1

Name:

Roll No.:

Date: 21-10-11

1. A radioactive source emits radiation. A student tries to find out the

nature of this radiation by placing different absorbers in between
the source and a detector. The students results are shown in the
table.
Absorber
none
1 mm paper
5 mm aluminium
20 mm lead

Count rate in counts

per minute
1063
1058
298
26

Which type of radiation is not being emitted by this source?

Choose from alpha, beta or gamma and specify the reason.
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2. (a) Name a device commonly used to measure radioactivity.

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(b) The device works by detecting the ionisation of a gas in a tube.

Explain the meaning of the word ionisation.
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3. The below graph shows the decay of a radioactive isotope.

(a) Explain what is meant by half life of a radioactive material.

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(b) Observe the graph and find the half life of the radioactive
material.
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(c) The half life of technetium-99 is 6 hours. A sample contains 24g

of technetium-99. What is the mass of this isotope that remains
undecayed after 18 hours? Show the working.
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4. (a)Write down how the mass number and atomic number change
for the following:
(i) emission of an alpha particle
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(ii) emission of a beta particle
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(iii) emission of gamma radiation
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(b) Complete the equation below to show the decay of

isotope of thorium (Th) when it emits an alpha particle.

(c)

and

to an
[2]

are both forms of uranium.

(i) What do we call different forms of the same element?

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(ii) Describe how their nuclei differ from each other.

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5. A Geiger-Muller tube is attached to a ratemeter to measure the

activity of a radioactive sample.
A student records the measurements at two-minute intervals.
time interval
(min)
counts per
second

0-2

2-4

4-6

6-8

8-10

87

92

81

84

80

(a) Why do the measurements vary?

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(b) Calculate the average measurement in a two-minute period.

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(c) When the source is removed, the ratemeter continues to

register a count. What is the origin of this count?
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(d) Is the average measurement of this count likely to be higher or

lower than that with the source present?
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6. Bilal did an experiment to observe the deflection of alpha, beta and

gamma radiation in a magnetic field.
(a) He placed a strong magnet near each radiation beam.
State what would happen to each radiation beam.
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(b) Why do the results described in (a) happen?

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(c) On a visit to a nuclear research laboratory, Bilal was shown a

room containing a large cobalt-60 source. Cobalt-60 is a
gamma emitter.
(i) What would be the best material for the walls of the room?
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(ii) State a precaution which should be taken by workers at the

laboratory to reduce their dose of gamma radiation.
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