A cloud chamber contains supersaturated alcohol vapour, which condenses on ions produced in the air to form visible tracks.
An experiment uses a radioactive source that emits both α\alphaα-particles and β\betaβ-particles. In the cloud chamber:
State and explain which tracks are produced by α\alphaα-particles and which are produced by β\betaβ-particles.
α\alphaα-particles: …………………………………………………………………\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots…………………………………………………………………
β\betaβ-particles: …………………………………………………………………\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots…………………………………………………………………
A radioactive isotope of phosphorus (P\text{P}P) is used as a tracer to study how plants absorb nutrients from soil. A nucleus of this isotope of phosphorus contains 15 protons and 17 neutrons. This nucleus decays by emitting a β\betaβ-particle to form a nucleus of sulfur (S\text{S}S).
Describe what is meant by an isotope. ………………………………………………………………………………\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots………………………………………………………………………………
Write down the nuclide equation for the decay of this isotope of phosphorus to sulfur.
This isotope of phosphorus has a half-life of 14 days14\text{ days}14 days. The isotope of sulfur produced is stable and does not undergo radioactive decay.
Suggest why these properties of the phosphorus isotope and the sulfur isotope make this phosphorus isotope suitable for use as an agricultural tracer. ………………………………………………………………………………\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots………………………………………………………………………………
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.