plumiAlpha, beta and gamma radiation and nuclear equations (core practical 15): Edexcel International A Level Physics questions
Edexcel International A Level Physics past-paper questions on 5.4.2.2 Alpha, beta and gamma radiation and nuclear equations (core practical 15), 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 51 questions on Alpha, beta and gamma radiation and nuclear equations (core practical 15), as a list
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q6 (1 mark): In a laboratory, the background count rate is 22 counts per minute. A detector is placed 25 cm from a gamma source. The count rate recorded by the detector is 5
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q7 (1 mark): A student used a detector to determine the intensity of radiation from a source of gamma radiation. After correcting for background, the intensity of radiation
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q12 (4 marks): The photograph shows a student observing the tracks of alpha particles and beta particles in a cloud chamber. (Source: © NASA Archive/Alamy Stock Photo) The par
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q20(a) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of plutonium‑238. (2) 238 Pu → 92 U + α
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q21(a)(i) (2 marks): Explain why a source of beta radiation is suitable to monitor the thickness of the paper. (2)
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q21(a)(ii) (2 marks): Pm‑147 decays by beta decay to an isotope of samarium, Sm. Complete the decay equation. (2) 0 νe– 147 − + 0 61Pm → Sm + β
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): A radioactive source emits alpha radiation, beta radiation and gamma radiation. Which of the following is correct? A Alpha radiation is the most ionising. B Bet
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q21(a)(i) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of uranium-241. (2) 241 − 92U → Np + β
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q14(a) (1 mark): Americium emits alpha radiation as well as gamma radiation. State why alpha radiation will not affect the recorded count rate. (1)
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q14(c) (3 marks): The student plotted a graph of count rate R against thickness x of absorber. Her graph is shown below. 70 60 50 40 R / s–1 30 20 10 0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 x
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q17(a) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of 131I. (2) 131 − + 0 53I → Xe + β 0νe
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q19(c)(i) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of strontium–90. (2) 0 90Sr → Y + β – + 0ve 38
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q20(a) (4 marks): A teacher tested an unknown radioactive source. He set up the source and a GM tube, as shown. GM tube source The initial count rate is determined without an abs
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q20(b) (5 marks): The count rate R recorded after gamma radiation has passed through a thickness x of lead is given by –μx R = R0e where R0 is the count rate with no absorber pre
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q8 (1 mark): Which row of the table gives the relative ionising power and penetration of gamma radiation? Ionising power Penetration A low low B low high C high low D high h
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q3 (1 mark): A nucleus of 19 38K emits a β + particle. Which row of the table shows the proton number and nucleon number of the nucleus that is produced? Proton number Nucle
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q11(a) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of rhenium-187. (2) 0 v– 187 – + 0 75Re → Os + β
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q11(b) (3 marks): The energy released in the decay is 2.6 keV. You may assume that, in this case, the beta particle receives all the emitted energy. Calculate the speed of a β –
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q13 (4 marks): A cloud chamber is used to show the tracks of alpha particles and beta particles. These particles ionise the air as they pass through the chamber. Liquid drople
- June 2023, Unit 6, Q2(a) (2 marks): State two safety precautions for this investigation. (2)
- June 2023, Unit 6, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain why a graph of ln C against x could be used to test the validity of this relationship. (2)
- June 2023, Unit 6, Q2(b)(ii) (6 marks): Devise a plan to obtain the data required to test the validity of this relationship. (6)
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q3 (1 mark): A nucleus of element X emits an alpha particle to produce the nucleus 233 91Y. Which of the following is the correct nucleon structure of element X? A 95 proton
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q7 (1 mark): A student investigated the absorption of gamma radiation by lead, as shown. lead absorber GM tube gamma source With no absorber the intensity of radiation was I
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q15(a) (2 marks): 137Cs decays to an isotope of barium by emitting a β – particle. Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of 137Cs. (2) 137Cs → 0 − + 56Ba + β 0ve
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q3 (1 mark): A radioactive source is placed a few centimetres away from a detector. When a sheet of paper is placed between the source and the detector there is no change in
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q18(a)(i) (1 mark): Identify particle X. (1)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q18(b) (4 marks): Radioactive phosphorus was one of the first artificially produced isotopes to be used in the diagnosis of cancerous tumours. The isotope 32P is injected into a
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q20(b)(i) (2 marks): Caesium-137 decays by emitting beta radiation. Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of caesium-137. 0 ν– 55 Cs → Ba + ꞵ– + 0 137 (2)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q20(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why the emission of an antineutrino in the decay leads to a range of energies for the ꞵ– particles. (2)
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q13(a) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of 40K by β– emission. 40 0 K → 20Ca + β– + 0v (2)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q14 (5 marks): Strontium-90 is commonly used in schools to demonstrate the properties of β particles. The range of energies of β particles emitted from a source of strontium-9
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q20(a) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for this decay. 225 89Ac → Fr + α (2)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q4 (1 mark): Cancer cells inside the body can be killed by directing narrow beams of radiation from different directions onto the cells. The source of radiation is outside t
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q19(a)(i) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for the decay of cobalt-60 to nickel. 60 0 27Co → Ni + β− + 0ve (2)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q19(a)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest why the majority of the energy released is shared between the β− particle and the antineutrino. (1)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q19(c) (3 marks): When in use the cobalt-60 source is shielded with lead. The graph shows how the transmission of γ-radiation depends upon the thickness x of the lead shielding.
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q18(c) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation below. 236 141 92U → 38Sr + Xe + 2 × n (2)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q18(e) (6 marks): Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is produced when alpha particles interact with air. This can be used to detect alpha particles when a nuclear reactor is decommission
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q19(c) (3 marks): Another source that was used in early pacemakers was promethium-147. This emits β-particles. The energy spectrum for the β-particles is shown. Number of β-parti
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q3 (1 mark): The penetration of matter by radiation depends on the ionising power of the radiation. Which of the following statements is correct? A α-particles are weakly io
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q15 (6 marks): A student investigated the absorption of gamma radiation by iron. She placed a gamma source in a holder and set up a Geiger-Müller (GM) tube a short distance aw
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q19(a)(i) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for this decay: 40K → 20Ca + 0 β– + 0ve (2)
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q19(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why there is a range of energies for the beta particles emitted in the decay of a sample of potassium-40. (2)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q17(a) (1 mark): The radon atoms do not leave tracks. State a reason for this. (1)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q17(b)(i) (2 marks): Complete the nuclear equation for this sequence of decays. (2) 220 Rn → 82 Pb + α
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q1 (1 mark): A radiation detector is placed near a radioactive source and measures the count rate from the source. Different absorbers are placed between the detector and th
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q7 (1 mark): The student discovered that a thickness of 1.0 cm of lead reduced the corrected count rate to 50% of its initial value with no lead. Which of the following stat
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q18(a) (1 mark): Complete the equation for the reaction (1) 48Ca + 98 249Cf → 118 294Og + × n 20
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q18(d) (2 marks): Explain a precaution necessary when handling a sample of an alpha emitting isotope. (2)
- October 2020, Unit 6, Q2 (6 marks): A student wrote the following plan to investigate the distance travelled by alpha particles in air. Place the Geiger-Müller tube in front of the source. Measure
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