CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL PHYSICS: COURSEBOOK

Exam-style questions and sample answers have been written by the authors. In examinations, the way marks are awarded
may be different.

Coursebook answers
Chapter 30
Exam-style questions High potential (50 kV or more) between
anode and cathode[1]
1 B[1]
Reference to material for anode / reference
2 C[1] to cooling of anode[1]
3 a 
Radiation that can cause ionisation of Reference to acceleration of electrons
the air (or of any other material it passes across the tube[1]
through)[1]
 lectric potential energy → kinetic energy
b E
It is likely to have sufficient energy to
of electrons[1]
cause damage to DNA and hence cell
mutation.[1] →
 internal energy on collision with anode
[1]
b X
 -ray shadow imaging, CAT scan,
plus X-radiation[1]
PET scan[2]
10 a i   eaks are formed by excitation of an
P
(2 marks for 3 correct, 1 mark for
inner electron in an atom to a higher
2 correct)
level.[1]
4 minimum wavelength = hc/E[1] Energy is given out when it drops
 6.63 × 10−34 × 3 × 108/(20 000 × 1.6 × 10−19)
= back to ground state.[1]
= 6.2 × 10−11 m[1] ii Band is produced by many
5 There is a large difference between the interactions,[1]
acoustic impedance of air and skin. each absorbing different energies.[1]
Consequently, a very large percentage of the
ultrasound is reflected.[1] b i L
 ow-energy X-rays are absorbed
by flesh[1]
The gel is used to match the impedances.[1]
so do not contribute to the overall
I r ( Z2 − Z1 )2 1.78 − 1.63 2
6 = [1] = ( ) [1] picture.[1]
I 0 ( Z2 + Z2 ) 2
1.78 + 1.63
Filtering these rays reduces the patient’s
= 1.9 × 10 −3 = 0.19% [1] overall exposure to radiation.[1]
7 wavelength = speed/frequency = 5200/800 000 ii Aluminium absorbs these low-energy
= 0.0065 m[1] X-rays.[1]
Optimum thickness is half this, i.e. 3.25 × 10−3 c Use of 115 keV[1]
m ≈ 3.3 × 10−3 m[1]
E = hf leading to f = 115 × 103 × 1.6 ×
8 L
 arge (relatively) exposure of patient to the 10−19/(6.63 × 10−34)[1]
ionising radiation with consequent risks[1]
= 2.78 × 1019 ≈ 2.8 × 1019 Hz[1]
 xpensive, because sophisticated equipment is
E
required[1] i   I = I0 e−mx[1]
11 a 

9 a 
Diagram showing basic tube with cathode, = 4.0 × 105 × exp (−250 × 5 × 10−2)[1]
anode (target)[1] = 1.5 W[1]
Cathode, anode, vacuum labelled / ii The long-wavelength / low-energy
referred to elsewhere[1] X-rays are absorbed,[1]

Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics – Sang, Jones, Chadha & Woodside
1 © Cambridge University Press 2020
 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL PHYSICS: COURSEBOOK

which do not contribute to the overall b i  E = mc2 = 2 × 1.67 × 10−27 × (3 × 108)2

picture / are absorbed by soft tissue, [1]
[1] = 1.50 × 10−10 J[1]
reducing the overall exposure to ii E = hc/λ gives λ = hc/E[1]
radiation.[1] = 6.63 × 10−34 × 3 × 108/1.5 × 10−10
acoustic impedance of a material =
12 a 
= 1.3 × 10−15 m
density × speed of sound in the material
82 82 0 0
[1] c  Rb → Kr + β + γ [2]
37 36 1 0
When ultrasound goes from one material
to another, some reflects.[1] 14 a i a solution containing molecules that
The proportion of the signal reflected is are readily taken up by the body[1]
determined by the acoustic impedance to which are attached radioactive
of the two materials.[1] nuclides[1]
b Z = rc = 1.04 × 103 × 1.58 × 103 J[1] which emit β+-particles[1]
Z = 1.64 × 106 kg m2 s−1[1]
 ii The line of response is a straight line
between the two detectors detecting
c i Some energy is reflected at the first the gamma rays produced by the
surface; incident energy is lower at the annihilation event.[1]
second surface.[1]
The precise position of the
ii time between pulses = 3.5 × 10 × 10−6 s annihilation event is on this line and
[1] is calculated from the time difference
distance of travel of pulse = between the arrival of the two gamma
vt = 1.58 × 103 × 3.5 × 10 × 10−6 s[1] rays produced in the event[1]
diameter of head = ½ × distance = b i   When a particle and its antiparticle
2.76 × 10−2 ≈ 28 mm[1] meet they annihilate each other [1]
13 a 
Any five from: and emit a pair of γ-rays [1] which
travel at 180° to each other [1].
Tracer with β+ emitter as tag[1]
ii mass-energy [1] momentum[1]
Positron meets an electron in the tissue[1]
Anihilation of positron−electron pair[1]
Pair of γ-rays produced[1]
Travel at 180° to each other[1]
 trike detectors and the line of response
S
established[1]
 oint at which interaction took place
P
determined by arrival times[1]

Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics – Sang, Jones, Chadha & Woodside
2 © Cambridge University Press 2020