Check what I know: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

Check what you know about H1 Physics Nuclear Physics, practise what needs work, then try fresh auto-marked progress checks and return for a later review.

GCE A-Level H1 Physics 2027

Learning goals

Work through the questions and use the feedback to plan revision.

This check is a formative starting point for the topic. Complete the questions, then use the feedback to choose the practice and repair work that follows.

Selected responses on this page do not establish H1 Physics mastery. Use your written problem solving as the stronger evidence of what you can do independently.

Check what I know

Check what I know: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 8 minutes

Check what I know

Answer 5 short questions. This starting check helps choose what to work on; it does not prove mastery.

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In Rutherford’s thin-foil experiment, most alpha particles pass through with little deflection but a small fraction scatter through large angles. What does this support?

The nucleus fills most of the atom but is transparent to nearly all alpha particles.
Electrons form a dense positive centre that reflects alpha particles.
Most mass and positive charge are concentrated in a very small nucleus.
Positive charge is spread uniformly throughout the atom.

The nuclides ²³₁₁Na and ²⁴₁₁Na are isotopes. Which statement is correct?

Both nuclei have 11 protons; they have 12 and 13 neutrons respectively.
Both nuclei have 11 neutrons; they have 12 and 13 protons respectively.
They have different proton numbers, so they are different elements.
They have the same numbers of protons and neutrons but different electron arrangements.

Take the Avogadro constant as 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹. How many nuclei are present in 0.50 mol of a monatomic isotope?

3.01 × 10²³
1.20 × 10²⁴
6.52 × 10²³
3.01 × 10²²

What can be predicted for radioactive decay under unchanged conditions?

Every nucleus decays exactly one half-life after the sample is prepared.
A nucleus becomes more likely to decay merely because it has survived longer.
A sample emits no radiation between successive half-life times.
Individual decay times are random, but the activity of a large population follows a statistical decay law.

A nuclear reaction releases energy. Which conservation account is correct?

Total mass–energy is conserved; a reduction in total rest mass corresponds to released energy through E = Δmc².
Rest mass is conserved separately, so released energy has no source in the initial system.
Charge must be destroyed to supply the released energy.
Every reaction releases energy whenever the number of nuclei decreases.

Practise

Practise: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 10 minutes

Practise

Questions are selected when you start. Use the feedback to decide what to practise next; this does not prove mastery.

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This check needs JavaScript to record answers. The reviewed questions are listed below for study.

Which observation–inference pair from Rutherford scattering is sound?

Rare large deflections imply a very small, dense, positively charged nucleus.
Most particles passing through imply that the nucleus fills most atomic volume.
Particles with no noticeable deflection must have no charge.
Large deflections imply that electrons contain most atomic mass.

Chlorine has two stable isotopes, ³⁵₁₇Cl and ³⁷₁₇Cl. How do the nuclei of these isotopes differ?

³⁷Cl has two more protons than ³⁵Cl.
³⁷Cl has two more neutrons than ³⁵Cl.
³⁷Cl has two more electrons in its nucleus.
They have the same nucleon number but different charge.

A sample contains 3.01 × 10²² atoms of an isotope whose molar mass is 60 g mol⁻¹. Take the Avogadro number as 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹. What is the mass of the sample?

0.050 g
1200 g
3.0 g
1.8 × 10²⁴ g

A detector reads 820 counts min⁻¹ initially and 220 counts min⁻¹ after 12 h; background is 20 counts min⁻¹. What is the half-life?

12 h
4.0 h
3.0 h
6.0 h

A deuteron has mass defect 0.00239 u. Using 931.5 MeV per u, what is its binding energy?

0.00239 MeV
931.502 MeV
2.23 MeV
3.90×10⁵ MeV

In the fission reaction ²³⁵₉₂U + ¹₀n → ¹⁴¹₅₆Ba + ⁹²₃₆Kr + x ¹₀n, what is x?

Practise

Practise after feedback: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 10 minutes

Practise

Questions are selected when you start. Use the feedback to decide what to practise next; this does not prove mastery.

Recent attempts

History is stored only in this browser.

No completed attempts are saved yet.

This check needs JavaScript to record answers. The reviewed questions are listed below for study.

Which pair are isotopes?

Nuclides with different proton numbers and the same nucleon number.
Nuclides with the same proton number and different neutron numbers.
Atoms differing only in electron number, with identical nuclei.
Nuclides with equal neutron numbers and different proton numbers.

Which description of atomic structure and isotopes is correct?

The nucleus occupies most atomic volume; isotopes have the same proton number and different neutron numbers.
Most atomic mass is concentrated in a small nucleus; isotopes have different proton numbers.
Most atomic mass is concentrated in a small nucleus; isotopes have the same proton number and different neutron numbers.
Most atomic mass is in electrons; isotopes differ only in electron number.

Chlorine has two stable isotopes, ³⁵₁₇Cl and ³⁷₁₇Cl. How do the nuclei of these isotopes differ?

³⁷Cl has two more protons than ³⁵Cl.
³⁷Cl has two more neutrons than ³⁵Cl.
³⁷Cl has two more electrons in its nucleus.
They have the same nucleon number but different charge.

A sample contains 3.01 × 10²² atoms of an isotope whose molar mass is 60 g mol⁻¹. Take the Avogadro number as 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹. What is the mass of the sample?

0.050 g
1200 g
3.0 g
1.8 × 10²⁴ g

A detector reads 1020 counts min⁻¹ initially and 145 counts min⁻¹ after 15 h; background is 20 counts min⁻¹. What is the half-life?

7.5 h
15 h
1.875 h
5.0 h

Corrected activity falls from 640 to 80 Bq in 18 h. What is the half-life?

6.0 h
9.0 h
2.25 h
18 h

A light nucleus has mass defect 0.00300 u. Using 1 u = 931.5 MeV/c², what is its binding energy?

3.11×10⁵ MeV
0.00300 MeV
2.79 MeV
2790 MeV

Why can fusion of suitable light nuclei release energy?

Nucleons lose electric charge and the lost charge becomes energy.
The products can have lower total rest mass and greater binding energy per nucleon, with the difference released as energy.
Rest mass is conserved separately, so the released energy has no corresponding change in the system.
Any decrease in the number of nuclei guarantees energy release, regardless of binding energies.

In the fission reaction ²³⁵₉₂U + ¹₀n → ¹⁴¹₅₆Ba + ⁹²₃₆Kr + x ¹₀n, what is x?

Check my progress

Check my progress: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 10 minutes

Check my progress

Answer 10 questions. If accepted, this result can contribute to your course progress.

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No completed attempts are saved yet.

Check again

Check again: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 10 minutes

Check again

Answer 10 questions. If accepted, this result can contribute to your course progress.

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Review

Review: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

A text-complete selected-response activity with quantities, units, directions, conditions, choices and feedback stated explicitly.

About 10 minutes

Review

Answer 10 questions. A scheduled review can contribute to your course progress only when it is due and the result is accepted.

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Course and syllabus information

Course: GCE A-Level H1 Physics
Edition: GCE A-Level H1 Physics 2027

Check what I know: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

Check what I know: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

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Practise: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

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Practise after feedback: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

Practice complete

Check my progress: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

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Check again: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

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Review: Nuclear Physics · H1 Physics 8867

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