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Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation: AQA GCSE Physics questions

Every AQA GCSE Physics exam question on 4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation, 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,653 questions

  1. Q09.1

    June 2024 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marks4.4.2 Atoms and nuclear radiation4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 1 Higher, question 09.1: Explain how Figure 15 shows that Source A only emits alpha radiation. [3 marks]

  2. Q06.1

    June 2024 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marks4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 1 Foundation, question 06.1: Which sources of background radiation are natural and which are man-made? [2 marks] Tick () one box in each row. Source of background radiation Natural Man-mad

  3. Q06.6

    June 2024 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 1 Foundation, question 06.6: How does the activity of a radioactive source affect the risk of harm from the source? [1 mark] Tick () one box. The smaller the activity, the greater the risk

  4. Q05.4

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marks4.4.2 Atoms and nuclear radiation4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Higher, question 05.4: All of the isotopes in Table 1 emit beta radiation. Explain which isotope would cause the biggest risk to a person’s health based only on the half-life of each

  5. Q05.6

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Higher

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Higher, question 05.6: Give one health risk to a person working close to a source of nuclear radiation. [1 mark]

  6. Q05.8

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marks4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Higher, question 05.8: Workers in the nuclear power industry are exposed to nuclear radiation. Pilots on aircraft are exposed to cosmic radiation from space. daily dose caused by work

  7. Q03.6

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marks4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Foundation, question 03.6: The places where people work and live contribute to the nuclear radiation they are exposed to. Table 3 shows the mean daily dose of radiation caused by two diff

  8. Q04.6

    June 2022 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 1 Foundation, question 04.6: Some sources of background radiation are natural and other sources are man-made. Which of the following is a man-made source of background radiation? [1 mark] T

  9. Q04.7

    June 2022 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marks4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 1 Foundation, question 04.7: The average background radiation dose per year in the UK is 2.0 millisieverts. A dental X-ray gives a patient a radiation dose of 0.005 millisieverts. Calculate

  10. Q05.1

    November 2020 · Paper 1 Higher

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 1 Higher, question 05.1: Give one other man-made source of background radiation. [1 mark]

  11. Q05.1

    November 2020 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 1 Foundation, question 05.1: Which of the following is also a man-made source of background radiation? [1 mark] Tick () one box. cosmic rays radiotherapy rocks stars

  12. Q05.6

    November 2020 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 1 Foundation, question 05.6: The radioactive waste from a nuclear power station is buried underground. People are warned to stay away from places where radioactive waste is buried. Suggest

  13. Q07.5

    Specimen · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 mark4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
    The whole paper ↗
    Specimen Paper 1 Foundation, question 07.5: The half-life of the radioactive source used was very short. Give one reason why this radioactive source would be much less hazardous after 800 seconds. [1 mark
All 13 questions on Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation, as a list
  1. June 2024, Paper 1 Higher, Q09.1 (3 marks): Explain how Figure 15 shows that Source A only emits alpha radiation. [3 marks]
  2. June 2024, Paper 1 Foundation, Q06.1 (2 marks): Which sources of background radiation are natural and which are man-made? [2 marks] Tick () one box in each row. Source of background radiation Natural Man-mad
  3. June 2024, Paper 1 Foundation, Q06.6 (1 mark): How does the activity of a radioactive source affect the risk of harm from the source? [1 mark] Tick () one box. The smaller the activity, the greater the risk
  4. June 2023, Paper 1 Higher, Q05.4 (3 marks): All of the isotopes in Table 1 emit beta radiation. Explain which isotope would cause the biggest risk to a person’s health based only on the half-life of each
  5. June 2023, Paper 1 Higher, Q05.6 (1 mark): Give one health risk to a person working close to a source of nuclear radiation. [1 mark]
  6. June 2023, Paper 1 Higher, Q05.8 (3 marks): Workers in the nuclear power industry are exposed to nuclear radiation. Pilots on aircraft are exposed to cosmic radiation from space. daily dose caused by work
  7. June 2023, Paper 1 Foundation, Q03.6 (2 marks): The places where people work and live contribute to the nuclear radiation they are exposed to. Table 3 shows the mean daily dose of radiation caused by two diff
  8. June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q04.6 (1 mark): Some sources of background radiation are natural and other sources are man-made. Which of the following is a man-made source of background radiation? [1 mark] T
  9. June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q04.7 (2 marks): The average background radiation dose per year in the UK is 2.0 millisieverts. A dental X-ray gives a patient a radiation dose of 0.005 millisieverts. Calculate
  10. November 2020, Paper 1 Higher, Q05.1 (1 mark): Give one other man-made source of background radiation. [1 mark]
  11. November 2020, Paper 1 Foundation, Q05.1 (1 mark): Which of the following is also a man-made source of background radiation? [1 mark] Tick () one box. cosmic rays radiotherapy rocks stars
  12. November 2020, Paper 1 Foundation, Q05.6 (1 mark): The radioactive waste from a nuclear power station is buried underground. People are warned to stay away from places where radioactive waste is buried. Suggest
  13. Specimen, Paper 1 Foundation, Q07.5 (1 mark): The half-life of the radioactive source used was very short. Give one reason why this radioactive source would be much less hazardous after 800 seconds. [1 mark

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