A particular radioactive source is known to emit either β\betaβ-particles or γ\gammaγ-rays.
Describe an experiment involving a metal sheet absorber (e.g., aluminium) to determine which type of radiation is being emitted. In your description, detail:
The table below shows the count-rate detected from a radioactive source over a period of 60 hours.
| Time / hours | 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 45 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count-rate / counts/s\text{counts/s}counts/s | 600 | 420 | 300 | 210 | 126 | 75 |
From this table, estimate the half-life of the radioactive source.
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.