Nuclear Physics
Each subtopic includes About section, revision page link, 10 preview questions, and practice CTAs.
The nuclear atom
SubtopicThe nuclear atom under Nuclear Physics for Grade 12 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
How many neutrons are in the isotope ?
A.6
B.14
C.8
D.20
- 2.
Which part of the atom is responsible for most of its volume?
A.The nucleus
B.The protons
C.The electron cloud/shells
D.The neutrons
- 3.
An atom has 11 protons. Which element is it?
A.Neon
B.Sodium
C.Magnesium
D.Aluminum
- 4.
What is the relative charge of a nucleus of Lithium ()?
A.+7
B.+4
C.+3
D.0
- 5.
Which of the following describes the nucleus of an atom in terms of density?
A.The density is similar to that of water.
B.The density is much lower than the density of the whole atom.
C.The density is extremely high and constant for all nuclei.
D.The density varies greatly depending on the number of electrons.
- 6.
An isotope of Oxygen is . How many neutrons does it have?
A.8
B.10
C.18
D.26
- 7.
What is the charge-to-mass ratio (specific charge) of a proton compared to an alpha particle?
A.The proton's is half that of the alpha particle.
B.The proton's is twice that of the alpha particle.
C.They are the same.
D.The proton's is four times that of the alpha particle.
- 8.
Which statement correctly describes the behavior of the potential as an alpha particle moves from a large distance towards the center of a nucleus?
A.It increases as until the nuclear surface, then stays constant.
B.It increases as until the nuclear surface, then decreases.
C.It increases as until the nuclear surface, then decreases.
D.It remains zero until the nuclear surface is reached.
- 9.
The distance of closest approach of an alpha particle to a nucleus is . If the charge of the nucleus is doubled () and the kinetic energy of the alpha particle is also doubled (), what is the new distance of closest approach?
A.B.C.D. - 10.
If the strong nuclear force were to suddenly double in strength while the electrostatic force remained the same, which of the following would likely happen?
A.Nuclei would become larger in volume.
B.Large nuclei would become more stable.
C.Alpha decay would become more frequent.
D.All atoms would collapse into their nuclei.
Download the worksheet for Nuclear Physics - The nuclear atom to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
Radiation can be detected using photographic film. What happens to the film when it is exposed to radiation?
A.It turns transparent
B.It melts
C.It darkens or fogs
D.It turns blue
- 2.
If an isotope has an atomic number of 88 and a nucleon number of 226, how many neutrons are in the nucleus?
A.88
B.226
C.314
D.138
- 3.
Which of these materials would be most effective at reflecting or absorbing neutrons in a reactor (as a moderator)?
A.Lead
B.Graphite
C.Air
D.Vacuum
- 4.
Which of the following stays the same during any type of radioactive decay?
A.The total mass of the system
B.The total charge
C.The number of protons
D.The number of neutrons
- 5.
What happens to the mass of a nucleus during the process of alpha decay?
A.It increases by 4 atomic mass units.
B.It decreases by approximately 4 atomic mass units.
C.It stays exactly the same.
D.It decreases by 2 atomic mass units.
- 6.
A radioactive tracer is injected into a pipe to find a leak. Which characteristic is most important for the tracer?
A.It must be an alpha emitter with a long half-life.
B.It must be a gamma emitter with a short half-life.
C.It must be a beta emitter with a long half-life.
D.It must be a stable isotope.
- 7.
When an atom undergoes radioactive decay, it often reaches a 'stable' state. What does this mean?
A.It will continue to decay at a faster rate.
B.The nucleus no longer has excess energy and will not spontaneously decay.
C.It has lost all of its electrons.
D.The nucleus has disappeared.
- 8.
If the half-life of an isotope is very long compared to the duration of an experiment, the activity of the sample during the experiment can be considered:
A.Zero
B.Exponentially increasing
C.Approximately constant
D.Inversely proportional to time
- 9.
A radioactive source has an activity of . If the energy of each particle emitted is , what is the total power output of the source?
A.0.8 micro-Watts
B.8.0 milli-Watts
C.0.8 milli-Watts
D.8.0 micro-Watts
- 10.
What happens to the atomic number and mass number of a nucleus during gamma emission?
A.Atomic number increases by 1, mass number stays same
B.Atomic number stays same, mass number decreases by 1
C.Both stay the same
D.Atomic number decreases by 1, mass number stays same
Download the worksheet for Nuclear Physics - Radioactivity to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.