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Activity and half-life: Edexcel GCSE Physics questions

Every Edexcel GCSE Physics exam question on Activity and half-life (specification points 6.23–6.27), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,554 questions

  1. Q4(b)(i)

    June 2025 · Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 1 Higher, question 4(b)(i): Use the graph to calculate the percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes. (2) percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes = %

  2. Q9(a)(i)

    June 2025 · Paper 1 Higher

    1 markActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 1 Higher, question 9(a)(i): Which of these is the unit for the activity of a sample of carbon-14? (1) A Pa B Nm C Gs D Bq

  3. Q4(c)(i)

    June 2025 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 markActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 1 Foundation, question 4(c)(i): Which of these is the unit for the activity of a radioactive isotope? (1) A second (s) B kilogram (kg) C kelvin (K) D becquerel (Bq)

  4. Q4(c)(ii)

    June 2025 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 1 Foundation, question 4(c)(ii): The isotope nitrogen-13 (N-13) has a half-life of 10 minutes. A sample of N-13 has an initial mass of 120 g. Calculate the mass of N-13 that remains after 30 mi

  5. Q10(b)(i)

    June 2025 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 1 Foundation, question 10(b)(i): Use the graph to calculate the percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes. (2) percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes = %

  6. Q4(d)(i)

    June 2024 · Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 1 Higher, question 4(d)(i): Use the graph in Figure 6 to determine the half-life of isotope P. (2)  half-life of isotope P = hours

  7. Q10(d)(i)

    June 2024 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Paper 1 Foundation, question 10(d)(i): Use the graph in Figure 23 to determine the half-life of isotope P. (2)  half-life of isotope P = hours

  8. Q7(b)

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Higher, question 7(b): The activity of a radioactive source is measured as 128 Bq. This is shown as a point on the graph in Figure 13. (3) 140 120 100 80 activity in Bq 60 40 20 0 0 1

  9. Q10(a)(ii)

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Higher, question 10(a)(ii): Suggest, with a reason, one property the isotope must have to be suitable for use in the RTG. (2)

  10. Q4(b)(iii)

    June 2023 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 1 Foundation, question 4(b)(iii): Figure 6 shows a graph for the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14. 35 30 count rate 25 in counts per minute 20 15 10 5 0 0 5000 10 000 15 000 20 000 tim

  11. Q6(c)(i)

    June 2022 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 markActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 1 Foundation, question 6(c)(i): Calculate the mass of the original radioactive isotope remaining after 18 days. (1) mass after 18 days g

  12. Q6(c)(ii)

    June 2022 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 1 Foundation, question 6(c)(ii): Calculate the mass of the original radioactive isotope remaining after 54 days. (2) mass after 54 days g

  13. Q3(c)(iii)

    November 2021 · Paper 1 Higher

    1 markActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 1 Higher, question 3(c)(iii): State the SI unit for the activity of a radioactive source. (1)

  14. Q3(d)

    November 2021 · Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 1 Higher, question 3(d): Radium-223 is a radioactive substance. Radium-223 is an alpha emitter. The half-life of radium-223 is 11 days. A radioactive source contains 1.7 × 1023 nuclei o

  15. Q9(c)(iii)

    November 2021 · Paper 1 Foundation

    1 markActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 1 Foundation, question 9(c)(iii): State the SI unit for the activity of a radioactive source. (1)

  16. Q7(c)

    November 2020 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 1 Higher, question 7(c): The half-life of cobalt-60 is 5 years. A school cobalt source had an activity of 38.5 kBq in the year 2000. Estimate the activity of this source in the year 202

  17. Q5(b)

    November 2020 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 1 Foundation, question 5(b): The half‑life of strontium‑90 is 29 years. The table in Figure 9 gives some information about how the mass of a sample of strontium‑90 changes with time. mass o

  18. Q3(c)

    June 2019 · Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 1 Higher, question 3(c): Carbon‑14 is radioactive and has a half‑life of 5 700 years. The number of radioactive carbon‑14 atoms in a very old piece of wood is found to have decreased fr

  19. Q9(c)

    June 2019 · Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 1 Foundation, question 9(c): Carbon-14 is radioactive and has a half-life of 5 700 years. The number of radioactive carbon-14 atoms in a very old piece of wood is found to have decreased fr

  20. Q3(b)

    June 2018 · Paper 1 Higher

    3 marksActivity and half-life
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2018 Paper 1 Higher, question 3(b): A hospital uses a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 6 hours. A technician measures a count rate of 80 counts per minute (cpm) from this isotope. 100 80 60
All 21 questions on Activity and half-life, as a list
  1. June 2025, Paper 1 Higher, Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Use the graph to calculate the percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes. (2) percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes = %
  2. June 2025, Paper 1 Higher, Q9(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of these is the unit for the activity of a sample of carbon-14? (1) A Pa B Nm C Gs D Bq
  3. June 2025, Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): Which of these is the unit for the activity of a radioactive isotope? (1) A second (s) B kilogram (kg) C kelvin (K) D becquerel (Bq)
  4. June 2025, Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(c)(ii) (2 marks): The isotope nitrogen-13 (N-13) has a half-life of 10 minutes. A sample of N-13 has an initial mass of 120 g. Calculate the mass of N-13 that remains after 30 mi
  5. June 2025, Paper 1 Foundation, Q10(b)(i) (2 marks): Use the graph to calculate the percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes. (2) percentage of fluorine-18 remaining after 150 minutes = %
  6. June 2024, Paper 1 Higher, Q4(d)(i) (2 marks): Use the graph in Figure 6 to determine the half-life of isotope P. (2)  half-life of isotope P = hours
  7. June 2024, Paper 1 Foundation, Q10(d)(i) (2 marks): Use the graph in Figure 23 to determine the half-life of isotope P. (2)  half-life of isotope P = hours
  8. June 2023, Paper 1 Higher, Q7(b) (3 marks): The activity of a radioactive source is measured as 128 Bq. This is shown as a point on the graph in Figure 13. (3) 140 120 100 80 activity in Bq 60 40 20 0 0 1
  9. June 2023, Paper 1 Higher, Q10(a)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest, with a reason, one property the isotope must have to be suitable for use in the RTG. (2)
  10. June 2023, Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(b)(iii) (2 marks): Figure 6 shows a graph for the decay of the radioactive isotope carbon-14. 35 30 count rate 25 in counts per minute 20 15 10 5 0 0 5000 10 000 15 000 20 000 tim
  11. June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q6(c)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the mass of the original radioactive isotope remaining after 18 days. (1) mass after 18 days g
  12. June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q6(c)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the mass of the original radioactive isotope remaining after 54 days. (2) mass after 54 days g
  13. November 2021, Paper 1 Higher, Q3(c)(iii) (1 mark): State the SI unit for the activity of a radioactive source. (1)
  14. November 2021, Paper 1 Higher, Q3(d) (2 marks): Radium-223 is a radioactive substance. Radium-223 is an alpha emitter. The half-life of radium-223 is 11 days. A radioactive source contains 1.7 × 1023 nuclei o
  15. November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(c)(iii) (1 mark): State the SI unit for the activity of a radioactive source. (1)
  16. November 2020, Paper 1 Higher, Q7(c) (3 marks): The half-life of cobalt-60 is 5 years. A school cobalt source had an activity of 38.5 kBq in the year 2000. Estimate the activity of this source in the year 202
  17. November 2020, Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(b) (2 marks): The half‑life of strontium‑90 is 29 years. The table in Figure 9 gives some information about how the mass of a sample of strontium‑90 changes with time. mass o
  18. June 2019, Paper 1 Higher, Q3(c) (2 marks): Carbon‑14 is radioactive and has a half‑life of 5 700 years. The number of radioactive carbon‑14 atoms in a very old piece of wood is found to have decreased fr
  19. June 2019, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(c) (2 marks): Carbon-14 is radioactive and has a half-life of 5 700 years. The number of radioactive carbon-14 atoms in a very old piece of wood is found to have decreased fr
  20. June 2018, Paper 1 Higher, Q3(b) (3 marks): A hospital uses a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 6 hours. A technician measures a count rate of 80 counts per minute (cpm) from this isotope. 100 80 60
  21. June 2018, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(b) (3 marks): A hospital uses a radioactive isotope with a half‑life of 6 hours. A technician measures a count rate of 80 counts per minute (cpm) from this isotope. 100 80 60

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