State which radioactive emission (alpha (α\alphaα), beta (β\betaβ), or gamma (γ\gammaγ)):
(i) is the least penetrating.
(ii) has a negative charge.
(iii) consists of high-energy electromagnetic waves.
Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope. The nuclide notation for a nucleus of cesium-137 is:
55137Cs ^{137}_{55}\text{Cs} 55137Cs(i) Determine the number of protons in one nucleus of cesium-137.
(ii) Determine the number of neutrons in one nucleus of cesium-137.
Sodium-24 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 15 hours. The activity of a sample of sodium-24 is 2400 counts/s. Calculate the activity of this sample after 45 hours.
484 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 5.2 Radioactivity, covering 5.2.1 Background radiation and measuring count rate, 5.2.2a Alpha, beta and gamma emission, 5.2.2b Deflection and ionising effects of nuclear radiation, 5.2.3a Radioactive decay, 5.2.3b Effects of decay on the nucleus and decay equations, 5.2.4a Half-life, 5.2.4b Choosing isotopes for applications, and 5.2.5 Effects of ionising radiation and safety precautions. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.