Atomic structure physics paper 1

Question 1

What is alpha radiation

Answer 1

2 protons and 2 neutrons

Question 2

What is Beta radiation

Answer 2

a fast moving electron

Question 3

Whats Gamma radiation

Answer 3

High energy electromagnetic waves

Question 4

Alpha radiation mass and charge

Answer 4

Mass = 4
Charge = +2

Question 5

Gamma radiation mass and charge

Answer 5

Mass = 0
Charge = 0

Question 6

Beta radiation mass and charge

Answer 6

Mass = 0
charge = 0

Question 7

How ionising is alpha radiation

Answer 7

strongly ionising

Question 8

How ionising is gamma

Answer 8

weakley Moderately ionising but highly penetrating

Question 9

How ionising is Beta

Answer 9

Moderatley ionising and penetrating

Question 10

Alpha is stopped/absorbed by

Answer 10

a piece of paper

Question 11

Beta is stopped/absorbed by

Answer 11

5mm of aluminium

Question 12

Gamma is stopped/absorbed by

Answer 12

Thick lead/concrete

Question 13

Whats a unstable nuclei

Answer 13

If the nuclei has too much mass or charge

Question 14

How to make the unstable nuclei stable

Answer 14

By emitting radiation

Question 15

Beta is used to make paper. Explain why Alpha or gamma wouldn’t be suitable for this

Answer 15

Alpha would not penetrate through and gamma would pass through despite thickness

Question 16

How is radiation and nuclear decay emitted

Answer 16

Randomly

Question 17

How half life is measured

Answer 17

Bequerels (Bq)

Question 18

Half life

Answer 18

Time taken for radioactive nuclei in a ample of a isotope to halve . Used to find rate at which sources decay, (called activity)

Question 19

Activity

Answer 19

Number of nuclei that decay (Bq) / Time taken (s)

Question 20

Why the positive charge in every atom of an element is always the same

Answer 20

Every atom of the same element contains the same number of protons

Question 21

What happens to the structure of an atom when the atom is ionised

Answer 21

The atom looses/gains electrons

Question 22

What are beta particles

Answer 22

Electrons

Question 23

Describe how beta radiation is produced by a radioactive isotope

Answer 23

Neutrons split to form protons and neutrons

Question 24

Why is the length of half-life of iodine-131 is important for destroying cancer cells in human thyroid gland

Answer 24

There long enough to destroy cancer cells but short enough to minimise damage

Question 25

Why are some atoms radioactive

Answer 25

Radiation is ionising

Question 26

Why is radiation dangerous to humans

Answer 26

Cause cancer/damage DNA

Question 27

Why X-rays can seem more dangerous than they really are

Answer 27

Cannot see X-rays

Question 28

How can use of ionising radiation in hospitals be both useful and harmful

Answer 28

USEFUL - stop cancer - helps with medical imagrey e.g. x-rays - helps with sterillisation HARMFUL - could cause cancer - Cause uncontrollable cell growth - Cause nuclear decay

Question 29

How radioactive sources should be handled

Answer 29

- Tongs increase distance -suit/glasses - clock that reduce explosion time - Barriers/distance

Question 30

Tracers

Answer 30

Radioactive isotopes can be used as tracers to examine inside of our bodies.

Question 31

Background radiation

Answer 31

Ionising radiation that is around us all the time

Question 32

Whats an isotope

Answer 32

Atoms of the same element but with different masses, they have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons e.g. Carbon-12 Carbon-13 Carbon-14

Question 33

Gold foil experiment result

Answer 33

- Mosh alpha particles went straight through, so most of the atom is empty -Some alpha particles were deflected so nucleus must be charged -Some deflected by 90 degrees so the nucleus must contain most of mass Realised most of atom was empty space

Question 34

Rutherford plum pudding model appearance

Answer 34

A sphere of positive charge with negative electrons dotted inside randomly.

Question 35

Plum pudding model results

Answer 35

The overall charge of an atom is neutral so the negative electrons embedded through the atom cancel out the charges.

Question 36

Explain how Figure 2 shows that Source A only emits alpha radiation

Answer 36

radiation from source A travels around 3cm in the air after which count rate decreases to background radiation because alpha radiation has a short range in the air/low penetration

Question 37

How absorbing material could be used to show which type of radiation is emitted

Answer 37

An aluminium sheet which beta radiation will not penetrate but gamma will

Question 38

why radiation dosage differ

Answer 38

- location - location of power stations/radiation testing

Question 39

sources of background radiation

Answer 39

- rocks - nuclear accident - cosmic rays