ATOMS & RADIOACTIVITY WORKSHEET

1 (a) Complete the following statements.

(i) An α-particle consists of ......................................................................................... .

(ii) A β-particle consists of ........................................................................................... .

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(b) As α-particles and β-particles pass through a gas, molecules of the gas become ionised.

Explain what is meant by the ionisation of a gas molecule.

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...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(c) Fig. 11.1 shows a beam of α-particles and a beam of β-particles in a vacuum. The
beams are about to enter a region in which a very strong magnetic field is acting. The
direction of the magnetic field is into the page.

_-particles

`-particles

uniform
magnetic field

Fig. 1.1

(i) Suggest why the paths of the particles in the magnetic field are curved.

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) Sketch the paths of both types of particle in the magnetic field. [3]

[Total: 8]
2. Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope that emits β-particles as it decays. The nuclear equation
below shows this decay.
90 a 0
38 Sr b X + –1e
(a) Calculate

(i) the value of a,

a = ......................................................

(ii) the value of b.

b = ......................................................
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(b) (i) Tick the element from the list below that is produced by this decay.

element proton number place one tick in this column

selenium 34
bromine 35
krypton 36
rubidium 37
strontium 38
yttrium 39
zirconium 40
niobium 41
molybdenum 42
[1]
a
(ii) The isotope b X is also radioactive and undergoes β-decay.

State the name of the element that is produced by this decay.

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(c) Three nuclei are represented as

83 209 84
42 X 83Y 42Z
State and explain which nuclei are isotopes of the same element.

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...................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 6]
3 (a) Complete the table below for the three types of radiation.

radiation nature charge stopped by

electromagnetic
γ
radiation

β negative

α thick paper

[3]

(b) An isotope of strontium is represented in nuclide notation as 90Sr.

38

For a neutral atom of this isotope, state

(i) the proton number, ...............

(ii) the nucleon number, ...............

(iii) the number of neutrons, ...............

(iv) the number of electrons. ...............

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(c) A sample of a radioactive material is placed near a radiation detector. A count-rate of

4800 counts / s is detected from the sample. After 36 hours the count-rate has fallen to
600 counts / s.

Calculate how many more hours must pass for the count-rate to become 150 counts / s.

number of hours = ............................................... [3]

[Total: 9]
4 (a) A technician sets up a radiation detector in a university laboratory for use in a class
experiment.

(i) A radioactive source that emits β-particles is placed on the laboratory bench, 10 cm from
the detector. A small count rate is registered.

1. State the name of the particle, found in an atom, that is identical to a β-particle.

............................................................................................................................... [1]

2. The technician sets up the same equipment in the same way every year. He notices
that the count rate registered by the detector every year is slightly smaller than it
was the previous year.

Suggest why this is so.

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) In a second experiment, the same equipment is set up but a radioactive source that
emits α-particles is placed 10 cm from the detector. The same number of particles are
emitted every second from this source as were emitted from the β-source in (i).

Explain why the count rate obtained is much lower.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) In another experiment, β-particles pass between two parallel, horizontal metal plates in a
vacuum. They then continue to the detector as shown in Fig. 4.1.

metal plate

`–particles

source detector

metal plate

Fig. 4.1

A very high p.d. is connected between the plates, with the lower plate positive.

On Fig. 4.1, sketch the new path of the β-particles. [2]

[Total: 7]
5. In a famous experiment, a beam consisting of a very large number of α-particles was projected, in
a vacuum, at a very thin gold foil.

Fig. 5.1 shows the paths of three of the α-particles A, B and C travelling towards the foil.

gold foil

Fig. 5.1

α-particle A is travelling along a line which does not pass very close to a gold nucleus.
α-particle B is travelling along a line which passes close to a gold nucleus.
α-particle C is travelling directly towards a gold nucleus.

(a) Explain why an α-particle and a gold nucleus repel each other.

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) On Fig. 5.1, draw lines with arrows to show the continuation of the paths of α-particles A, B
and C. [3]

(c) State two conclusions, about gold atoms, which resulted from the experiment.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 6]
6 (a) α-particles, β-particles and γ-rays are known as ionising radiations.

(i) Describe what happens when gases are ionised by ionising radiations.

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(ii) Suggest why α-particles are considered better ionisers of gas than β-particles.

..................................................................................................................................

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[3]

(b) (i) Suggest two practical applications of radioactive isotopes.

1. ..............................................................................................................................

2. ..............................................................................................................................

(ii) For one of the applications that you have suggested, describe how it works, or draw
a labelled diagram to illustrate it in use.

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