plumiNuclear radius: AQA A‑Level Physics questions
AQA A-Level Physics past-paper questions on 3.8.1.5 Nuclear radius, 2008–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q01.1
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All 32 questions on Nuclear radius, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q01.1 (3 marks): Alpha particles, each with a kinetic energy of 5.59 MeV, are fired at a thin foil made of gold ( ) 197 Au 79 atoms. Some of the alpha particles are scattered th
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q01.2 (2 marks): Explain why your answer to Question 01.1 is an estimate. [2 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q01.3 (2 marks): Electron diffraction gives a more precise value for the radius of the nucleus. Sketch, on Figure 1, a graph of intensity against angle for electron diffraction
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q01.4 (2 marks): Results from electron-diffraction experiments lead to the equation: 1 3 0 = R R A Show that the equation provides evidence for the constant density of nuclear m
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q20 (1 mark): The nuclear radius of an element with nucleon number x is r. What is the nuclear radius of an element with nucleon number y? [1 mark] A 3 x r y B 3
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q29 (1 mark): What can be deduced about the radius r of a nucleus of gold from the scattering of alpha particles by gold nuclei? [1 mark] A r < 10−14 m B r < 10−15 m C r ≈ 10
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q06.1 (2 marks): Nuclear radii can be estimated using either alpha particles or high-energy electrons. State two advantages of using high-energy electrons rather than alpha part
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q06.2 (2 marks): Figure 11 shows a beam of electrons, each with the same high energy, incident on a target gas. The electrons are diffracted by the nuclei in the gas. The intens
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q06.3 (2 marks): The radius R of a nucleus is related to its nucleon number by 1 3 0 R R A = . Show that this equation is consistent with the idea that all nuclei have the same
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q06.4 (1 mark): The equation 1 3 0 R R A = is derived from experimental data. Suggest one reason why the constant density of nuclear material derived from this equation is only
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q06.5 (3 marks): The measured radius R of 35Cl 17 is 4.02 × 10−15 m. Calculate an estimate of • the constant R0 • the density of nuclear material. [3 marks] R0 = m density = kg
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q19 (1 mark): An alpha particle is moving towards a stationary gold nucleus. The alpha particle has a kinetic energy of 9.0 × 10−13 J when it is a large distance from the gol
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q26 (1 mark): The diagram shows the path of a proton being deflected by the nucleus of an atom. Point P is the position of the proton when it is closest to the nucleus. What
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q05.4 (3 marks): Alpha particle 4 comes to rest at a distance of 5.5 × 10−14 m from the centre of the Au 79 197 nucleus. Calculate the speed of alpha particle 4 when it is at a
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q05.5 (2 marks): The nuclear radius of Au 79 197 is 6.98 × 10−15 m. Calculate the nuclear radius of Ag 47 107 . [2 marks] radius = m
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q05.6 (1 mark): All nuclei have approximately the same density. State one conclusion about the nucleons in a nucleus that can be deduced from this fact. [1 mark]
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q29 (1 mark): Which graph shows how intensity I varies with angle when electrons are diffracted by a nucleus? [1 mark] A B C D
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q30 (1 mark): The radius of a uranium U 92 238 nucleus is 7.75 × 10–15 m What is the radius of a C 6 12 nucleus? [1 mark] A 1.10 × 10−18 m B 3.91 × 10−16 m C 2.86 × 10−15 m D
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q31 (1 mark): The radius of a nucleus of the iron nuclide Fe 27 56 is 4.35 × 10−15 m. What is the radius of a nucleus of the uranium nuclide U 92 238 ? [1 mark] A 2.69 × 10−1
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q29 (1 mark): Which of the following is equal to radius of a nucleus of Sb 51 125 radius of a nucleus of Zn 30 64 ? [1 mark] A 1.19 B 1.25 C 1.33 D 1.40 2 9
- June 2016, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Figure 1 shows how the relative intensity of the scattered electrons varies with angle due to diffraction by the oxygen-16 nuclei. The angle is measured from th
- June 2015, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): Use information from Figure 1 to show that r0 is about 1.4 × 10–15 m. [1 mark]
- June 2015, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): Show that the radius of a 51 23V nucleus is about 5 × 10–15 m. [2 marks]
- June 2015, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q2(c) (3 marks): Calculate the density of a 51 23V nucleus. State an appropriate unit for your answer. [3 marks] density unit
- June 2012, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q5(a) (1 mark): On Figure 4 sketch a graph to show how the radius, R, of a nucleus varies with its nucleon number, A. Figure 4 (1 mark) 0 0 nucleon number A nuclear radius R
- June 2012, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): The radius of a gold-197 nucleus 197 79Au is 6.87 × 10–15 m. Show that the density of this nucleus is about 2.4 × 1017 kgm–3. (2 marks)
- June 2012, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): Using the data from part b(i) calculate the radius of an aluminium-27 nucleus, 27 13Al. answer = m (2 marks)
- June 2012, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q5(c) (6 marks): Nuclear radii have been investigated using α particles in Rutherford scattering experiments and by using electrons in diffraction experiments. Make comparisons
- June 2011, PHYA5 Section A (old spec), Q2(b) (3 marks): For the reaction to take place the a particle must come within a distance, d, from the centre of the aluminium nucleus. Calculate d if the nuclear reaction occu
- June 2008, PA10 (2008 spec), Q8(a) (4 marks): 8 (a) If the speed of the electrons was increased, state and explain what the effect would be on 8 (a) (i) the de Broglie wavelength of the electrons in the bea
- June 2008, PA10 (2008 spec), Q8(b) (4 marks): 8 (b) The radius of the nucleus of an atom can be determined from electron diffraction measurements. The results show that the radius, r, of a nucleus depends o
- June 2008, PHA5CORE (2008 spec), Q1(b) (4 marks): 1 (b) (i) Calculate the approximate radius of a nucleus of 99Tc m, 43 given that the nuclear radius of 28Si 14 is 3.7 × 10 –15 m. 1 (b) (ii) State one method by
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