Nuclear equations

Explain what is meant by nuclear binding energy of a nucleus.

Explain why isotopes with low mass numbers, such as hydrogen, are those which undergo nuclear fusion.

Use the diagram given at the start of this question to show that, for the reaction of deuterium and tritium, the energy released in each fusion event is approximately 3 × 10^–12 J.

Determine the charge of the missing particle.

The missing particle is a lepton. Name this lepton.

In the fusion reaction above, determine the total number of up quarks at the start of the reaction.

In beta-plus decay, a proton decays into three other particles.

Write a nuclear equation for this process.

The nucleus of thorium-232 (²³²₉₀Th) emits two alpha particles and two beta-minus particles to become a nucleus of an isotope of radium.

What is the nucleon number A and the proton number Z for the nucleus of this radium isotope?

A A = 224, Z = 88

B A = 228, Z = 86

C A = 224, Z = 84

D A = 228, Z = 88

Your answer

A researcher is doing an experiment on a radioactive solution in a thin glass tube. The solution has two radioactive materials X and Y. The table below shows some data on these two materials.

The solution has the same number of nuclei of X and Y at the start.

State and explain which material has the greatest activity at the start.

State why it is dangerous for the researcher to handle the test tube with bare hands.

Carbon-14 (¹⁴₆C) is produced in the upper atmosphere of the Earth by collisions between nitrogen nuclei and fast-moving neutrons. The nuclear transformation equation below shows the formation of a single carbon-14 nucleus.

State the proton number of particle X.

Use the data below to determine the binding energy per nucleon of the¹⁴₆C nucleus. Write your answer to 3 significant figures.

• mass of neutron = 1.675 × 10^–27 kg

• mass of proton = 1.673 × 10^–27 kg

• mass of¹⁴₆C nucleus = 14.000 u

• 1 u = 1.66 × 10^–27 kg

binding energy per nucleon =........ J per nucleon

Complete the nuclear equations for these two processes.

Students want to carry out an investigation into gamma photon absorption using a source of

An isotope of polonium-213 (²¹³₈₄Po) first decays into an isotope of lead-209 (²⁰⁹₈₂Pb) and this lead isotope then decays into the stable isotope of bismuth (Bi).

Fig. 24 shows two arrows on a neutron number N against proton number Z chart to illustrate these two decays.

Complete the nuclear decay equations for

the polonium isotope

the lead isotope.

A pure sample of polonium-213 is being produced in a research laboratory. The half-life of²¹³₈₄Po is very small compared with the half-life of²⁰⁹₈₂Pb.

After a very short time, the ionising radiation detected from the sample is mainly from the beta-minus decay of the lead-209 nuclei.

Briefly describe and explain an experiment that can be carried out to confirm the beta-minus radiation emitted from the lead nuclei.

The activity of the sample of²⁰⁹₈₂Pb after 7.0 hours is 12 kBq. The half-life of²⁰⁹₈₂Pb is 3.3 hours.

Calculate the initial number of lead-209 nuclei in this sample.

A proton collides with a stationary oxygen-18 nucleus. The collision produces a fluorine-18 nucleus and particle X.

What is particle X?

A neutron

B proton

C electron

D positron

Your answer