A beam of ionising radiation, containing α\alphaα-particles, β\betaβ-particles and γ\gammaγ-rays, is travelling from the bottom to the top of the page. A magnetic field acts perpendicularly out of the page.
In the table below, tick the boxes that describe the deflection of each of the types of radiation as it passes through the magnetic field. One line has been completed, to help you.
| not deflected | deflected towards left of page | deflected towards right of page | large deflection | small deflection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α\alphaα-particles | ✓\checkmark✓ | ✓\checkmark✓ | |||
| β\betaβ-particles | |||||
| γ\gammaγ-rays |
An electric field is now applied in the same region as the magnetic field and at the same time as the magnetic field.
What is the direction of the electric field in order to cancel out the deflection of the α\alphaα-particles?
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.