Conceptual Questions 8.

Iodine -131 [53I131] is a radioactive isotope with a decay constant of

1. a. Compare β-particles and γ-rays in terms of their mass, charge, ionizing 9.9 x 10-7 s-1.
power and penetration power. [2] a. State what is meant by radioactivity and decay constant. [2]
b. Define decay constant. [1] b. Obtain a relation between half-life and decay constant. [3]
c. The isotope carbon-14 has half-life 5700 years. If the sample contains c. Some water becomes contaminated with iodine-131. The activity of the
1022 carbon-14 nuclei, find its activity. [2]
iodine – 131 in 1.0kg of water is 560 Bq. Determine the number of
2. Radioactivity is the spontaneously occurring phenomenon in nature.
a. What is radioactivity? [1] iodine-131 atoms in 1.0kg of water. [1]
b. Obtain N = 𝑁𝑜 𝑒 −𝜆𝑡 in radioactive decay law. [3] d. Regulations require that the activity of iodine -131 in 1.0kg of water is
c. Describe the significance of decay curve showing the longest life time to be less than 170 Bq. Calculate the time, in days, for the activity of
of radio isotopes. [1] the contaminated water in (i) to be reduced to 170 Bq. [2]
d. The half-life of radium is 1620 years. After how many years 25% of a 9. a. Define the terms half-life and mean life of a radioactive substance.
radium block remains undecayed? [3] What is relationship between them? [2]
3. a. State radioactivity decay laws. [2] b. The graph shows the percentage of a
b. A sample of radioactive isotopes contains 50% of its original number in radioactive isotope that remains as
2 years. Then, time passes. A student measures the
i. What is its half-life? [1] initial rate of emission of this isotope
ii. If there are 106 such nuclei remaining after 8 years, how many as 40000 emissions per second.
numbers are there in the beginning? [2] i. What is the value of Half-life of
4. Figure shows the decay of radioactive given radio-active substance? [1]
Caesium, 134 55Cs. ii. Determine the average life time of
a. Use the graph to determine the half- given radioactivity material. [1]
life of nuclide in years. [2] How long does it take for the rate of
b. Find the decay constant of the emission to fall to 5000 emissions per second? [1]
radioactive decay of the nuclide. [3] 10. The following graph shows the decay of
c. What would be the remaining radioactive Caesium 55Cs134 . Study the graph
activity after 12 years? [2] and answer the questions.
d. State one application of the a. Heavy, unstable nuclei usually decay by
radioactive decay. [1] emitting an α or β particle. Why don’t they
5. The graph alongside shows the usually emit a single proton or neutron? [2]
count rate recorded when a b. Find the half-life period of Cs. [1]
sample of isotope indium-116 c. Write an equation which represents the
decays. given graph. [1]
a. What is radioactive decay? [1] d. What is initial number of atoms present in
b. Use the graph to find half of the sample? [2]
the isotope. [2] iii. Find the number of atoms present in the sample after 4 years have
c. Calculate decay constant. [3] elapsed. [2]
d. What percent of nuclide has 11. A student measured the activity of a sample of radioactive rock. Her results
been decayed at time t = 32 are presented in the graph.
seconds? [2] a. Explain why the data are scattered. [1]
6. Different isotopes undergo decay to give Before decay After decay b. Determine the half-life of this sample. [2]
isotopes of another element as shown in 14
6𝐶
14
7𝑁 c. How will the shape of this curve will change if she repeats the
the table. 227
90 𝑇ℎ 223
88𝑅𝑎
experiment with a sample with a larger decay constant. Give reason to
a. Determine the types of decay shown your answer. [2]
in the above table. [2] e.
b. State any two properties of γ-rays. [2] 12. Radioactivity is a random process and occurs by chance.
c. How are γ-rays different from α and β particles? [2] a. Comment on the statement “A nucleus contains no electrons and yet
d. How are β particles emitted from nucleus, though electrons are not in can eject them.” [2]
the nucleus? [2] b. Discuss α, β and γ decay. [3]
7. a. A nucleus contains no electrons, yet it ejects them. Explain. [2] 1 𝑡ℎ
A radioactive source has decayed to of its initial activity after 50 days.
b. A radioactive source has decayed to one tenth of one percent of its 28
initial activity in 100 days. What is its half-life period? [3] What is its half-life? [3]
13. A sample of radioactive substance may decay by the emission of either
alpha, beta or gamma-radiation.
a. State the type of radiation which contains (i)leptons (ii)quarks
(iii)particle that remains un deflected in field [3]
c. Which particle alpha, beta or gamma has largest ratio of charge to
mass? [2]
14. In the diagram radioactive source is placed in a cavity.
a. Label A, B and C in the given figure. Which element
is preferred to use as the cavity? [2]
b. The radioactive source decayed to one tenth of one
percent of its initial activity in 100 days. Calculate its
half-life period [3]
15. a. Two radioactive samples A and B have equal number of atoms initially.
Their half-life are 3 hours and 9 hours respectively. Compare their rate
of disintegration after 18 hours from start. [3]
b. What percentage of atoms are decayed after five half-life periods? Show
with calculation. [2]
c. In a given sample, two radio isotopes A and B are initially present in
the ratio 1:4. The half-life of A and B are 100 years and 50 years
respectively. Find the time after which the amounts of A and B become
equal. [3]

Give reasons/ answers

1. What do you mean by radiation hazard?
2. What is Gieger muller tube? Describe its working.
3. Explain, why natural radioactive nuclei are nuclei of high mass numbers?
4. All radioactive series terminate at lead as their final product. Why?
5. A radioactive nucleus has a half-life of one year. Will it be completely decayed
at the end of two year?
6. What do you mean by curie?
7. Can a single nucleus emit α-particle, β-particle and γ-ray simultaneously?
Explain.
8. What is meant by carbon-dating? How can we use this method to estimate
age of dead plant?