Skip to content

Course home

Sign up

6.3 Nuclear equations and decay

EasyMediumHard
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364
Question 57

A detector records two successive emissions in a decay chain.

The parent nucleus has mass number 237 and atomic number 93. It emits alpha radiation. The daughter nucleus then emits beta-minus radiation.

a.

Complete the Table.

Nucleus in the decay chainRadiation just emittedMass numberAtomic number
parent nucleusnone23793
first daughter nucleusalpha
second daughter nucleusbeta minus
[4]
b.

Explain, in terms of changes to the particles in the nucleus, the mass number and atomic number you calculated for the second daughter nucleus.

[2]
Markscheme

6.3 Nuclear equations and decay Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /6.3 Nuclear equations and decay

120 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 6.3 Nuclear equations and decay, covering 6.3.1 Beta-minus and beta-plus decay, 6.3.2 Effects of decay on the nucleus, and 6.3.3 Balancing nuclear equations. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

Question bank