− λt

1. (a) Derive the decay law N=N o e . [5]

55
(b) The activity of the sample of 24 Cr at the end of 5 minute interval is found to be 19.2, 7.13, 2.65,
0.99 and 0.37 milliCuries.
−λt
(i) Derive the equation to show the relationship In(activity)= In( λAo e . [3]
55
(ii) Construct the table for time against In(activity) of 24 Cr . [5]
(iii) Plot the graph of In(activity) against time. [4]
55
(iv) Determine the half-life of 24 Cr . [3]

1
T m=
2. (a) Show that the average lifetime of a radioactive nucleus is λ. [5]
22
(b) How much time is required for 5 mg of Na of half-life 2.60 years to reduce to 1 mg.
11 [5]
(c) Determine the energy and momentum of the daughter and neutrino that are produced when
7
4 Be undergoes electron capture at rest. [10]

3. A nucleus undergoes alpha decay by emitting two groups of alpha particles with kinetic energies
Kα 1
K
and α 2 .
(a) Determine the kinetic energy of alpha particles emitted. [8]
(b) Determine the kinetic energy of the daughter nucleus produced. [8]
(c) Explain what happens to the kinetic energy of alpha particles and that of the daughter nucleus for
large mass number of the parent nucleus. [2,2]

4. (a) Determine the unknown particle in the following nuclear reactions:

18
(i) 8 O (d,p)X [2]
122 124
(ii) 52 Te (X,d) 53 I [2]

(b) Determine the compound nucleus and some of the possible reaction products when alpha
19
particles are incident on 9 F. [5]

12
(c) As observed in the laboratory system, a 6 MeV proton is incident on a stationary C target. Find
the velocity of the center of mass system. Take the mass of a proton to be 1u. [6]
 235 90
(d) Find the total final kinetic energy in the photofission of 92 U by a 6 MeV gamma ray into 36 Kr ,
142
56 Ba and three neutrons. [5]

5. (a)An experiment was conducted to investigate the absorption by aluminium of the radiation from a
radioactive source by inserting aluminium plates of different thickness between the source and a
Geiger tube connected to a ratemeter (Scaler). The observations are summaried in table 1.1.

Table 1.1: Corrected mean count rate of radiation for different thickness of
aluminium
Thickness of aluminium (cm) Corrected mean count rate (min-1)
2.3 1326
6.9 802
11.4 496
16.0 300

(i) Use these data to plot a graph of thickness verses corrected mean count rate. [5]
(ii) Determine for this radiation in aluminium the linear absorption coefficient. [4]
5. Table 1.1 shows how the binding energy per nucleon for some nucleon numbers.
Table 1.1: Binding energy per nucleon.

Binding energy per nucleon 1.0 2.8 5.6 6.6. 7.0 8.6 8.9 8.6 8.6 8.6
(MeV)
Nucleon number 1 3 6 10 27 48 50 63 12 232
0

(a) Plot the graph of binding energy per nucleon against nucleon number. [10]
(b) Explain why it is not possible for your graph to start from the point (0,0). [2]
(c) How does the binding energy per nucleon vary between? [3]
(d)Use the graph to estimate the mass number and the binding energy per nucleon of the most
stable nuclei. [2]
(e) Determine the nucleon number with the bidding energy per nucleon of 8.1 MeV. [2]
(f) Estimate the bidding energy of urananium-235. [1]

6.(a) Explain the properties of a nuclear force. [6]

(b) Draw a graph of nuclear force against distance from the center of the nuclear. [4]

(c) Explain what would happen to a proton when

(i) it ejects a negatively charged Pion. [2]
(ii) it absorbs a positively charged Pion. [2]
(d) Explain what happens to a neutron if it absorbs a positively charged Pion. [2]
(e) State two examples of bosons and fermions. [2,2]
11. (a) What is Firm-Dirac statistics? [1]
(b) Using Firm-Dirac statistics equation determine the probability that the energy state will be
occupied if;
(i) temperature is zero and energy level is greater than the Firm level. [3]
(ii) temperature is above zero and energy level equals Firm level. [3]

7. (a) A target scatters 0.003% of an incoming neutron beam. If the target has a density of 10000 kgm -3,
A = 204 and the total neutron cross section per nucleus is 1.1 barns. Find the target thickness.
[10]

(b) State three properties of a compound nucleus [3]

(c) (i) What is meant by Q-value of a nuclear reaction? [1]
(ii) Explain how you can use the Q-value to identify the type of nuclear reaction. [6]

7
4. The mass of the isotope of 3 Li is 7.018u.
(a) Determine the binding energy. [5]
(b) Calculate the binding energy per nucleon and explain the answer. [ 3,2]

1. (a) What are nucleons? [2]

(b) State the properties of the nucleon-nucleon force. [6]
(c) Explain the following:
(i) Proton-neutron hypothesis. [4]
(ii) Proton-electron hypothesis. [4]
(iii) Meson theory of nuclear forces. [4]

9. (a) Explain what is observed when a charged particle passes through matter. [10]
(b) State any two dynamic properties of a nucleus. [2]

(c) Show that density of a nucleus is 2.3 x 1017 kgm-3. [4]

(d) Why nuclei of different elements have same density. [2]
(e) Why the nucleus is dense than an atom. [2]

1. (a) What is the difference between fermions and bosons? [2]

(b) Explain the meaning of nuclear excitation. [2]
(c) Using Fermi-Dirac statistics, describe what happens to fermions at high temperature when firm
level equals energy level.
[3]
(d) Using Bose-Einstein statistics describe what happens to the bosons when temperature is zero. [3]

2. (a) Calculate the energy that will be released if two deuterium nuclei fuse into an alpha particle. [3]
 (b) In a sequence process, Uranium -235 plus a neutron forms the compound nucleus Uranium-236,
which then fissions; the fission then produces further decays. If the initial fission fragments are
Barium-143 and Krypton-90. Calculate the energy released in the fission reaction. [3]
(c) A fission reaction was observed in four phases, the number of neutrons observed in each case
were as follows:
(i) First phase 3000 neutrons
(ii) Second phase 2000 neutrons
(iii) Third phase 400 neutrons
(iv) Fourth phase 20 neutrons.
Using the concept of the reproduction constant explain what will happen to the reaction. [4]

42 6 45
3. (a) Determine the unknown particle in the nuclear reaction20 Ca( 3 Li, X ) 21 Sc . [2]
(b) A target scatters 0.001% of an incoming neutron beam. If the target has a density of 10600 kgm -3,
A = 200 and the total neutron cross section per nucleus is 1.1 barns. Find the target thickness. [5]
(c) About 185 MeV of usable energy is released in the neutron-induced fissioning of a Uranium-235
nucleus. If Uranium in a reactor is continuously generating 4000 MW of power, how long will it
take for 2 kg of the Uranium to be used up? [3]

1. (a) State the law governing the rate of decay of a radioactive substance and explain the terms decay
constant (λ) and half-life (T). [2,2,2]
(b)Show that these two quantities are related by the equation λT =¿ 2. [4]
(c) Describe briefly how the decay law may be verified experimentally for a source of half-life of
about one hour. [4]
(d)Two radioactive sources A and B initially contain equal numbers of radioactive atoms. Source a has
a half-life of one hour and source B a half-life of two hours. What is the ratio of the rate of
disintegration of source A to that of source B
(i) Initially [3]
(ii) After two hours [3]
[TOTAL =20]

10. (a) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power. [3,3]
(b) Explain what is meant by
(i) induced fission [2]
(ii) a chain reaction of fission events [2]
(d)(i) Why is it not possible for a chain reaction to occur if the mass of fissionable material is less than
a critical amount? [2]
(ii) Describe how the rate of fission events in a thermal nuclear reactor is controlled to ensure
energy is released at steady rate. [2]
(e)(i) What is the function of a moderator in a thermal nuclear reactor? [2]
(ii) Explain why spent fuel rods are highly radioactive. [2]
 (i) Why is spent fuel reprocessed? [2]
[TOTAL =20]

131
(a) I has a physical radioactive half-life of 8.0 days. It is cleared from the thyroid with a half-life of 15
days.
131
(i) Calculate the effective half-life of I in the thyroid. [4]
(ii) If the initial active is 0.40 MBq, find the activity after 7.0 days. [4]
(b) A radiation worker is exposed to α-radiation which results in a dose equivalent of 50 mSv over a
year. If the technician works a 44 week year for 37 hours per week, calculate the average
absorbed dose rate at the technician workplace. Neglect any background radiation dose. QF for
α-radiation is 10. [4]
(c) State four ways in which a radiation worker can control exposure to radiation at the work place.
[4]
(d) The exposure rate at a distance of 0.50m from a point source of radiation is 1.0mCkg-1h-1. At what
distance from the source will the exposure rate be 0.10 mCkg-1h-1? [4]
[TOTAL 20]

12. (a)Describe the operations of the following radiation detectors

(i) Ionization chamber. [8]

(ii) Scintillation counter. [6]
(b) A point source of ϒ-radiation has a half life of 30 minutes. The initial count rate recorded by a
Geiger counter placed 2.0 m from the source is 360/s. The distance between the counter and the
source is altered. After 1.5 hours the count rate is 5/s. What is the new distance between the
count and the source? [6]

13. (a) Describe the general aspects of a reactor design. [8]

(b) Explain the following in relation to nuclear reactor;
(i) reactor control. [3]
(ii) reactor shielding. [3]
(c) Explain the biology effects of radiation. [6]

236
14. (a) Show that 94 Pu is unstable and will α decay. [5]
U by 6 MeV γ − ray into36 Kr ,
235 90
(b) Calculate the total final kinetic energy in the photo fission of 92
142
Ba and three neutrons.
56 [5]
(c) Estimate the temperature required to produce fusion in deuterium plasma taking the range of the
average nuclear force to be 2 fm. [6]
235
(d) About 185 MeV of usable energy is released in the neutron-induced fissioning of a 92U nucleus. If
U in a reactor is continuously generating 100 MW of power, how long will it take for 1 kg of the
235
92

uranium to be used up? [9]

15. (a) Describe the general components of reactor design. [10]

 (b) Explain the following in relation to nuclear reactor;
(i) reactor control. [4]
(ii) reactor shielding. [4]
(c) Explain the biological effects of radiation. [7]

16. (a) Calculate the time required for 20 % of a sample of thorium to disintegrate
(Half life of thorium is 1.4×1010 years). [8]
32
(b) A dose of 3.5 mCi of 35 P is administered intravenously to a patient whose blood volume is 3.5
litres. At the end of one hour it is assumed that the Phosphorous is uniformly distributed. What
would be the count rate per millilitre of withdrawn blood?
(i) 1 hour after the injection [6]
(ii) 28 days after the injection . (Half life of phosphorous is 14 days). [4]
−
17. (a) What is the maximum energy of the electron emitted in the β decay of 1 H ?
3
[6]
(b) Determine the energy and momentum of the daughter and neutrino that are produced when 7 Be
4
undergoes electron capture at rest. [10]
(c) Determine the kinetic energy of the α particles emitted in an alpha decay in terms of the Q of the
reaction. [9]