HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
Earn 100

The initial activity a sample of 1 mole of radon-220 is 8.02×1021 s-1.

Calculate:

(b) the half-life of the isotope.

Important Questions on Nuclear Physics

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The graph of count rate against time for a sample containing indium-116 is shown.

Question Image

(a) Use the graph to determine the half-life of the isotope.

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The graph of count rate against time for a sample containing indium-116 is shown.

Question Image

(b) Calculate the decay constant.

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The proportions of different isotopes in rocks can be used to date the rocks. The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.9×109 years. A sample has 99.2% of the proportion of this isotope compared with newly formed rock.

(a) Calculate the decay constant in y-1 for this isotope of uranium.

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The proportions of different isotopes in rocks can be used to date the rocks. The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.9×109 years. A sample has 99.2% of the proportion of this isotope compared with newly formed rock.

(b) Calculate the age of the rock in years.

MEDIUM
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The table shows the received count rate when a sample of the isotope vanadium-52 decays.

Time/min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Count rate/s-1 187 159 134 110 85 70 60 56 40

(a) (i) Sketch a graph of the count rate against the time.

MEDIUM
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The table shows the received count rate when a sample of the isotope vanadium-52 decays.

Time/min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Count rate/s-1 187 159 134 110 85 70 60 56 40

(a) (ii) Comment on the scattering of the points.

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The table shows the received count rate when a sample of the isotope vanadium-52 decays.

Time/min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Count rate/s-1 187 159 134 110 85 70 60 56 40

(b) From the graph, determine the half-life of the isotope.

HARD
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

The table shows the received count rate when a sample of the isotope vanadium-52 decays.

Time/min 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Count rate/s-1 187 159 134 110 85 70 60 56 40

(c) Describe the changes to the graph that you would expect if you were given a larger sample of the isotope.