Surname

Name

American Academy Larnaca

Year 5 Physics
Semester 1

Test 2

Unit P2

Physics for your future

Topic P2.5

Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion

Topic P2.6

Benefits and drawbacks of using

radioactive materials

Time: 40 minutes
The total marks for the paper is 40.
The marks for each question are shown in square brackets.
Use this as a guide as to how much time to spend on each question.
Questions labelled with an asterisk (*) are ones where the quality of your written
communication will be assessed.
You should take particular care with your spelling and grammar, as well as the
clarity of expression, on these questions.
Answer the questions in the spaces provided.
There may be more space than you need.

FORMULAE
You may find theses formulae useful
charge = current time

Q=It

potential difference = current resistance

V=IR

electrical power = current potential difference

P=IV

energy transferred = current potential difference time

E=IVt

distance
time

speed =

acceleration =

change in velocity
time taken

v=

s
t

a=

v-u
t

force = mass acceleration

F=ma

weight = mass gravitational field strength

W=mg

momentum = mass velocity

p=mv

force =

change in momentum
time

F=

work done = force distance moved in the direction of the force

power =

work done
time taken

kinetic energy =

E=Fd
P=

gravitational potential energy = mass gravitational field strength vertical height

1
mass (velocity)2
2

(mv - mu)
t

E
t

GPE = m g h
KE =

Do not forget to include units in all your answers.

1
m v2
2

1. Iodine-131 is used in hospitals.

The graph shows the decay of a sample of iodine-131.

(i) Use the graph to find the half-life of iodine-131.

(2)

...
...
...
half-life = ........................................................... days
(ii) Estimate the mass of iodine-131 in the sample 7 days before the start of the graph.

(1)

...
...
mass = ........................................................... mg
(iii) Iodine-131 emits beta particles and gamma rays.
A patient is only given a small dose of iodine-131 during treatment.
Hospital staff who administer this treatment to a lot of patients are potentially exposed to
greater risk.
Explain the dangers to hospital staff.

(2)

...
...
...
...

(iv) State one safety precaution related to the use of radioactive material.

(1)

...
...
(Total for question = 6 marks)
2. (a) In some countries food is sold with this label.

This food has been deliberately exposed to gamma radiation.

Complete the sentence by putting a cross ( ) in the box next to your answer.
The gamma radiation is used to
A

produce cancer cells in the food

kill cancer cells in the food

kill microbes in the food

make the food radioactive.

(1)

(b) The cobalt-60 sources used to irradiate the food are small metal rods about the size of a pencil.
They are made from stable cobalt-59 which is put inside a nuclear reactor. Some of the cobalt-59
is turned into cobalt-60 by the radiation in the reactor.
The nuclei of the two isotopes can be represented as

Compare these two isotopes of cobalt.

(2)

...
...
...
(Total for Question = 3 marks)
4

3. (a) Unstable nuclei can emit particles.

Which of these particles has the largest charge?
A

alpha particle

beta particle

neutron

proton

(b) Which of these particles has the largest mass?

A

alpha particle

beta particle

neutron

proton

(c) The maximum range of a beta particle in air is about

A

50 mm

50 cm

50 m

50 km

(d) When a nucleus emits a beta particle

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

the nucleon number decreases by 1

the nucleon number increases by 1

the proton number decreases by 1

the proton number increases by 1

(Total for question = 4 marks)

4. The photograph shows an old camera lens that contains several pieces of glass.

One of the pieces of glass includes a radioactive isotope, thorium-232.

(a) Thorium-232 undergoes alpha decay and produces an isotope of radium, Ra.
Complete the equation for this decay.

(2)

(b) The radioactive glass also emits beta particles from a different isotope.
The diagram shows the position of the radioactive glass in the camera.

(i) Suggest why it is safe to use radioactive glass in the camera as shown.

(1)

...
...
(ii) Amateur astronomers sometimes remove an old camera lens to use as a lens in a homemade
telescope.
Suggest why an astronomer should not use a lens with radioactive glass close to their eye. (2)
...
...
...
...
(Total for question = 5 marks)

5. (a) Which of these is measured in becquerel (Bq)?

A

activity

frequency

half-life

radiation

(b) Which of these has a mass (nucleon) number of 4?

A

alpha particle

beta particle

gamma ray

x-ray

(c) Which of these is the same as an electron?

A

alpha particle

beta particle

gamma ray

x-ray

alpha particle

beta particle

gamma ray

x-ray

(1)

(1)

(d) Which of these is the most ionising?

A

(1)

(1)

(Total for question = 4 marks)

6. Iodine-131 is a radioactive isotope that emits beta particles.
The equation for this decay is

Iodine-131 is used to treat thyroid cancer.

This radioactive isotope is allowed to enter the tumour.
Explain why iodine-131 is suitable for this treatment.

(2)

...
...
...
...
(Total for Question = 2 marks)
8

7. There is an increasing demand for electricity and the reserve of fossil fuels is decreasing.
A way to meet increasing demand for electricity is to build new nuclear power stations.
Some people feel that no new nuclear power stations should be built because of the risks associated
with nuclear fuels.
(a) Outline the arguments that a scientist working in the nuclear power industry could use to justify the
building of more nuclear power stations in the future.
(3)
...
...
...
...
...
...
(b) Nuclear waste is a problem that must be dealt with. One possible solution would be to bury the
waste deep underground.
Suggest one reason why some people are against burying nuclear waste.

(1)

...
...

(c) The diagram shows the components of a nuclear reactor.

Label as much of the diagram as possible and explain how a nuclear reactor can be used to
generate electricity.

(6)

...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
(Total for Question = 10 marks)
10

8. A student is Googling for information on nuclear fusion. Her search immediately turns
up the following.

(a) (i) Why is it so hard to achieve nuclear fusion?

(2)

...
...
...
...

(ii) Suggest why nuclear fusion reactors that can be built now are not efficient.
(2)
...
...
...
...

(b) Why would a fusion reactor be less dangerous than a fission reactor?

(2)

...
...
...
...
(Total for Question = 6 marks)
TOTAL FOR TEST = 40 MARKS
END

11

Mark Scheme
Q1.

12

Q2.

(b)

Q3.

13

Q4.

14

Q5.

Q6.

15

Q7.

16

17

Q8.
Question
number
(a)(i)

(a)(ii)

(b)

Answer

Notes

Marks

Two from:
because nuclei are positively charged (1)
and repel (1)
so high temperatures (1)
and high pressures needed (1)
Two from:
extremely high temperatures used (1)
so energy lost heating surroundings (1)
Eout < Ein (1)
Two from:
fusion products are helium [nuclei] (1)
and neutrons (1)
accident would not pollute environment with radioactive
materials (1)
little risk of uncontrolled reaction (1)

do not accept
heat

18