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Nuclear and particle physics

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Question 8
a.

A clinical oncology department prepares a syringe containing a therapeutic mixture of two radionuclides, X and Y, used for targeted brachytherapy. The mixture is housed in a thin plastic syringe.

The properties of these two radionuclides are as follows:

  • Radionuclide X: Half-life = 6.0 hours, radiation emitted = Beta-minus, daughter nuclei = Stable.
  • Radionuclide Y: Half-life = 115 days, radiation emitted = Gamma-ray, daughter nuclei = Stable.

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

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

[2]
b.

State why it is dangerous for the clinical researcher to handle the plastic syringe with bare hands.

[2]
c.

Helium-3 (23He^{3}_{2}\text{He}23​He) is produced in a fusion reactor when Deuterium (12H^{2}_{1}\text{H}12​H) nuclei fuse. The nuclear reaction equation is:

12H+12H→23He+W ^{2}_{1}\text{H} + ^{2}_{1}\text{H} \rightarrow ^{3}_{2}\text{He} + \text{W} 12​H+12​H→23​He+W

State the proton number of particle W\text{W}W.

[1]
d.

Use the data below to determine the binding energy per nucleon of the 23He^{3}_{2}\text{He}23​He nucleus. Write your answer to 3 significant figures.

  • mass of neutron = 1.675×10−27 kg1.675 \times 10^{-27}\text{ kg}1.675×10−27 kg
  • mass of proton = 1.673×10−27 kg1.673 \times 10^{-27}\text{ kg}1.673×10−27 kg
  • mass of 23He^{3}_{2}\text{He}23​He nucleus = 3.016 u3.016\text{ u}3.016 u
  • 1 u=1.66×10−27 kg1\text{ u} = 1.66 \times 10^{-27}\text{ kg}1 u=1.66×10−27 kg
  • speed of light c=3.00×108 m s−1c = 3.00 \times 10^8\text{ m s}^{-1}c=3.00×108 m s−1
[5]
Markscheme

Nuclear and particle physics Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Physics
  3. /Nuclear and particle physics

90 exam-style questions on OCR A A Level Physics Nuclear and particle physics, covering The nuclear atom, Fundamental particles, Radioactivity, and Nuclear fission and fusion. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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