plumiAtoms and isotopes: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions
Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Atoms and isotopes (specification points 6.1–6.9), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Calculations
Q3(a)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)
The whole paper ↗Q5(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q5(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(b)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗
All 27 questions on Atoms and isotopes, as a list
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a) (4 marks): Figure 5 shows a diagram of a helium atom. F G H + + H F G Figure 5 Complete the table for particles G and H, as shown in Figure 5. (4) particle name of particl
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Determine the number of neutrons in this atom. (1) number of neutrons
- June 2025, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): Determine the number of electrons in this atom. (1) number of electrons
- June 2024, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(a) (3 marks): Write the names of the particles X, Y and Z on the lines next to each letter in Figure 6. (3)
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of these is the symbol for another radioactive isotope of americium? (1) A 97Am 241 B 96Am 243 C 95Am 245 D 94Am 247
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table gives the relative mass and charge of a proton? (1) relative mass charge A 0 +1 B 0 –1 C 1 +1 D 1 –1
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(ii) (2 marks): An atom has a radius of 1.0 × 10–10 m. A nucleus has a radius of 1.0 × 10–15 m. Calculate the ratio of the radius of the atom to the radius of the nucleus. (2)
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why an atom has no charge overall. (2)
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): State the number of protons in one atom of carbon‑14. (1) number of protons =
- June 2023, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): State the number of neutrons in one atom of carbon‑14. (1) number of neutrons =
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(a) (2 marks): Rutherford devised an experiment to fire alpha particles at thin gold foil. It was found that alpha particles were scattered by the gold foil. The gold foil was
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): The number of particles detected at each angle in a given time is shown on the graph in Figure 7. 107 106 105 number of scattered 104 particles detected 103 102
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(b)(ii) (4 marks): Explain how the difference in the number of particles scattered at different angles gives evidence for the current model of the structure of the atom. (4)
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the students could use the apparatus to model the scattering of alpha particles. (2)
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(c)(ii) (1 mark): Give one limitation of this model. (1)
- June 2022, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(b) (3 marks): Sulfur‑35 is a radioactive isotope of sulfur. Figure 8 represents a nucleus of sulfur‑35. 35 16S Figure 8 Draw one line from each type of particle to the number
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q2(b) (2 marks): Fluorine-19 is a stable isotope of the element fluorine. The element fluorine also has several radioactive isotopes. Describe one similarity and one difference
- November 2021, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q6(b) (2 marks): Fluorine-19 is a stable isotope of the element fluorine. The element fluorine also has several radioactive isotopes. Describe one similarity and one difference
- November 2020, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q5(a) (1 mark): Which of these describes isotopes of an element? (1) A same atomic number different number of neutrons B same atomic number different number of protons C same m
- November 2020, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): How many protons are in the nucleus of an atom of strontium‑90? (1) A 38 B 52 C 90 D 128
- November 2020, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): How many neutrons are in the nucleus of an atom of strontium‑90? (1) A 38 B 52 C 90 D 128
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Higher, Q2(a) (2 marks): Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Nuclei of carbon-13 and carbon-14 can be represented by these symbols 13 6C and 14 6C Complete the table for an
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a)(i) (2 marks): Use words from the box to complete the sentences below about ions. outer inner losing absorbing gaining (2) Atoms may form positive ions b electrons. electrons.
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(c) (1 mark): The typical size of an atom is (1) •A 10-5m • в 10-1°m • C 10-15m XD 10-20m
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(d) (3 marks): The mass of a proton is 1.6726 × 10-2 kg. The mass of an electron is 9.1094 × 10-31 kg. Calculate how many times the mass of a proton is greater than the mass o
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q6(a) (2 marks): Carbon-13 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Nuclei of carbon-13 and carbon-14 can be represented by these symbols 13C 14C and 6 Complete the table for an at
- June 2019, Physics Paper 1 Foundation, Q6(d) (6 marks): In 1908 a scientist called Rutherford was investigating ideas about atoms. His students fired a beam of alpha particles at a thin piece of gold foil. Figure 5 s
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