A radioactive source is placed near a radiation detector. The radiation arriving at the detector from the source is measured for 10 minutes with different materials placed between the source and the detector.
| Material between source and detector | Radiation detected / counts |
|---|---|
| none | 8420 |
| sheet of paper | 3150 |
| thick sheet of aluminium | 3120 |
| thick sheet of lead | 180 |
Which types of radiation are emitted by the source?
α\alphaα-particles and β\betaβ-particles
α\alphaα-particles and γ\gammaγ-rays
β\betaβ-particles and γ\gammaγ-rays
β\betaβ-particles only
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.