1. This question is about the unified atomic mass unit and a nuclear reaction.

(a) Define the term unified atomic mass unit.

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(1)

(b) The mass of a nucleus of rutherfordium-254 is 254.1001 u. Calculate the mass in GeV c
2
.

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(1)

(c) In 1919, Rutherford produced the first artificial nuclear transmutation by

bombarding nitrogen with -particles. The reaction is represented by the following
equation.

14 17
+ 7 N 8O +X

(i) Identify X.

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(1)

IB Questionbank Physics 1
 (ii) The following data are available for the reaction.
2
Rest mass of = 3.7428 GeV c
14
Rest mass of 7 N = 13.0942 GeV c
2

17
Rest mass of 8O + X = 16.8383 GeV c
2

The initial kinetic energy of the -particle is 7.68 MeV. Determine the sum of
the kinetic energies of the oxygen nucleus and X. (Assume that the
nitrogen nucleus is stationary.)

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(Total 6 marks)

2. This question is about radioactive decay and binding energy.

(a) Describe what is meant by radioactive decay.

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(2)

(b) A nucleus of potassium-40 (K-40) undergoes radioactive decay to a nucleus of

argon-40 (Ar-40). In the reaction equation below, identify the proton number Z of
argon and the particle x.

IB Questionbank Physics 2
 40
19 K 40Z Ar x

Z: .............................................................................................................................
....

x: .............................................................................................................................
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(2)

2
(c) The mass of a K-40 nucleus is 37 216 MeV c . Determine the binding energy per
nucleon of K-40.

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(d) State why the binding energy of Ar-40 is greater than that of K-40.

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(1)
(Total 9 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 3
3. This question is about the Rutherford model of the atom.

(a) Most alpha particles used to bombard a thin gold foil pass through the foil without
a significant change in direction. A few alpha particles are deviated from their
original direction through angles greater than 90. Use these observations to describe
the Rutherford atomic model.

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IB Questionbank Physics 4
 197
(b) The isotope gold-197 ( 79 Au ) is stable but the isotope gold-199 ( 199
79 Au ) is not.

(i) Outline, in terms of the forces acting between nucleons, why, for large
stable nuclei such as gold-197, the number of neutrons exceeds the
number of protons.

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(3)

199 199
(ii) A nucleus of 79 Au decays to a nucleus of 80 Hg . State the two particles,
other than -photon, emitted in this decay.

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(2)
(Total 10 marks)

4. Photoelectric effect

A metal is placed in a vacuum and light of frequency f is incident on its surface. As a

result, electrons are emitted from the surface. The graph below shows the variation
with frequency f of the maximum kinetic energy EK of the emitted electrons.

IB Questionbank Physics 5
 (a) The graph above shows that there is a threshold frequency of the incident light
below which no electrons are emitted from the surface. With reference to the
Planck constant and the photoelectric work function, explain how Einsteins
photoelectric theory accounts for this threshold frequency.

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(4)

(b) Use the graph in (a) to calculate the

(i) threshold frequency.

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(1)

(ii) Planck constant.

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IB Questionbank Physics 6
 ........................................................................................................................
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(4)

(iii) work function of the metal.

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(2)
(Total 11 marks)

5. This question is about nuclear physics.

(a) (i) Define binding energy of a nucleus.

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(1)

239
(ii) The mass of a nucleus of plutonium ( 94 Pu ) is 238.990396 u. Deduce that
the binding energy per nucleon for plutonium is 7.6 MeV.

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IB Questionbank Physics 7
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(3)

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 (b) The graph shows the variation with nucleon number A of the binding energy per
nucleon.

239
Plutonium ( 94 Pu ) undergoes nuclear fission according to the reaction given
below.

239
94 Pu 01 n 91
38 Sr 146
56 Ba x 01 n

(i) Calculate the number x of neutrons produced.

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(1)

(ii) Use the graph to estimate the energy released in this reaction.

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IB Questionbank Physics 9
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(2)

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 (c) Stable nuclei with a mass number greater than about 20, contain more neutrons
than protons. By reference to the properties of the nuclear force and of the
electrostatic force, suggest an explanation for this observation.

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(4)
(Total 11 marks)

6. This question is about quantum aspects of the electron.

The wavefunction for an electron confined to move within a box of linear size
10
L = 1.0 10 m, is a standing wave as shown.

IB Questionbank Physics 11
IB Questionbank Physics 12
 (a) State what is meant by a wavefunction.

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(1)

(b) State the position near which this electron is most likely to be found.

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(c) Calculate the momentum of the electron.

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(2)

(d) The energy, in joules, of the electron in a hydrogen atom, is given by E =

2.18 10 18

n2 where n is a positive integer. Calculate the wavelength of the
photon emitted in a transition from the first excited state of hydrogen to the
ground state.

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(3)

IB Questionbank Physics 14
 (e) The electron stays in the first excited state of hydrogen for a time of
approximately
10
t = 1.0 10 s.

(i) Determine the uncertainty in the energy of the electron in the first excited
state.

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(2)

(ii) Suggest, with reference to your answer to (e)(i), why the photons emitted in
transitions from the first excited state of hydrogen to the ground state will, in
fact, have a small range of wavelengths.

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(2)

IB Questionbank Physics 15
 (f) Diagram 1 shows the three lowest energy levels for an electron in the hydrogen
atom.

Using the energy axis on diagram 2, draw the three lowest energy levels for the
electron in a box model. You do not have to put any numbers on the vertical axis.
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 16
7. This question is about photoelectric effect and de Broglie wavelength.

The diagram is a representation of apparatus used to study the photoelectric effect.

Light from the monochromatic source is incident on a cathode placed in an evacuated

tube.
A variable voltage supply is connected between anode and cathode and the
photoelectric current is registered by the microammeter. The sketch graph shows how
the photoelectric current I varies with the potential difference V between anode and
cathode for two sources of light, A and B, of different frequencies and intensities.

IB Questionbank Physics 17
 (a) Explain with reference to the Einstein model, which graph, A or B, corresponds to
the light with the greater frequency.

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(4)

14
(b) The frequency of the light that produces graph A is 8.8 10 Hz. The magnitude
of VA is 1.6 V.

(i) State the value of the maximum energy, in eV, of the electrons emitted from
the cathode.

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(1)

(ii) Determine the work function, in eV, of the surface of the cathode.

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IB Questionbank Physics 18
IB Questionbank Physics 19
 (c) The frequency of the incident light is increased but the intensity remains
constant.
Explain why this increase in frequency results in a change to the maximum
photoelectric current (saturation current).

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(3)

(d) The electrons emitted from the photo-cathode have an associated de Broglie
wavelength.
Describe what is meant by the de Broglie wavelength.

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(Total 12 marks)

8. This question is about nuclear decay and ionization.

226
(a) A nucleus of radium-91 ( 91 Ra ) undergoes alpha particle decay to form a nucleus
of radon (Rn).

Identify the proton number and nucleon number of the nucleus of Rn.

IB Questionbank Physics 20
 Proton
number: ..........................................................................................................
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Nucleon
number: .........................................................................................................
(2)

IB Questionbank Physics 21
 (b) Immediately after the decay of a stationary radium nucleus, the alpha particle and
the radon nucleus move off in opposite directions and at different speeds.

(i) Outline the reasons for these observations.

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(3)

(ii) Show that the ratio

initial kinetic energy of alpha particle

initial kinetic energy of radon atom

is about 56.

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(3)

IB Questionbank Physics 23
 (c) The initial kinetic energy of the alpha particle is 4.9 MeV. As the alpha particle
passes through air, it loses all its kinetic energy by causing the ionization of 1.7
5
10 air molecules.

(i) State what is meant by ionization.

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(1)

(ii) Estimate, in joules, the average energy needed to ionize an air molecule.

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(2)

(d) Outline why a beta particle has a longer range in air than an alpha particle of the
same energy.

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(Total 14 marks)

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IB Questionbank Physics 25
9. This question is about the hydrogen atom.

(a) A parallel beam of visible light is shone through monatomic hydrogen gas.

The radiation emerging from the gas is analysed by comparing the incident and
emerging intensities at various wavelengths. It is found that at a wavelength of
490 nm the intensity of the emergent beam is greatly reduced.

The diagram shows some of the electron energy states of the hydrogen atom
where n is the quantum number of the energy level.

(i) Calculate the energy, in eV, of a photon of light of wavelength 490 nm.

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IB Questionbank Physics 26
 (ii) Use your answer in (a)(i) and the energy level diagram to explain the
reduction in intensity of the emergent beam.

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(b) Outline how the Schrdinger model of the hydrogen atom leads to the idea of discrete
electron energy states.

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(Total 10 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 28
10. This question is about radioactive decay.

(a) The alpha particles produced in alpha decay have discrete energies. Suggest
how this observation provides evidence for the existence of nuclear energy
levels.

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(2)

(b) A nucleus of the isotope fluorine-18 decays into a nucleus of oxygen-18 by the
emission of a positron and neutrino. Outline how the nature of the -decay energy
spectrum of fluorine-18 suggests the existence of the neutrino involved in the
decay.

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(c) A freshly prepared sample of fluorine-18 has an activity of 1.12 MBq. Its activity
four hours later is 0.246 MBq.
1
(i) Show that the decay constant for fluorine-18 is 0.379 hr .

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IB Questionbank Physics 30
 (ii) Calculate the half-life of fluorine-18.

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(1)

15
(d) The energy of a beta particle in the decay of the sample in (c) is 8.4 10 J.
12
Show that the de Broglie wavelength of this particle is 5.3 10 m.

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(Total 11 marks)

11. This question is about nuclear fission.

(a) A possible fission reaction is

235
92 U 01 n 92 141 1
36 Kr 56 Ba x 0 n .

(i) State the value of x.

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IB Questionbank Physics 31
 (ii) Show that the energy released when one uranium nucleus undergoes
11
fission in the reaction in (a) is about 2.8 10 J.

Mass of neutron = 1.00867 u

Mass of U-235 nucleus = 234.99333 u
Mass of Kr-92 nucleus = 91.90645 u
Mass of Ba-141 nucleus = 140.88354 u

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(iii) State how the energy of the neutrons produced in the reaction in (a) is likely
to compare with the energy of the neutron that initiated the reaction.

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(1)

(b) Outline the role of the moderator.

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IB Questionbank Physics 33
 (c) (i) A nuclear power plant that uses U-235 as fuel has a useful power output of
16 MW and an efficiency of 40 %. Assuming that each fission of U-235
gives rise to
11
2.8 10 J of energy, determine the mass of U-235 fuel used per day.

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(ii) Describe how some reactors are used to produce plutonium-239.

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(iii) State the importance of plutonium-239.

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IB Questionbank Physics 34
 (d) Some nuclear reactors have a heat exchanger that uses a gas that is kept at
constant volume. The first law of thermodynamics can be represented as Q = U
+ W.

(i) State the meanings of Q and W.

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(2)

(ii) Describe how the first law of thermodynamics applies in the operation of
the heat exchanger.

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IB Questionbank Physics 35
 (iii) Discuss the entropy changes that take place in the gas and in the
surroundings.

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(Total 25 marks)

12. This question is about -particle scattering and nuclear processes.

Radium-226 decays with the emission of -particles to radon (Rn).

(a) Complete the nuclear reaction equation.

226
88 Ra Rn +
(2)

11 1
(b) The decay constant of radium-226 is 1.4 10 s and each emitted -particle
13
has an energy of 7.6 10 J.

(i) Calculate the half-life of radium-226.

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IB Questionbank Physics 36
IB Questionbank Physics 37
 (ii) Determine the rate, in watts, of emission of energy from 1.0 g of radium-
226.

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(4)

(c) Experimental evidence that supports a nuclear model of the atom was provided
by -particle scattering. The diagram represents the path of an -particle as it
approaches and then recedes from a stationary gold nucleus.

(i) On the diagram, draw lines to show the angle of deviation of the -particle.
Label this angle D.
(1)

(ii) The gold nucleus is replaced by another gold nucleus that has a larger
nucleon number. Suggest and explain the change, if any, in the angle D of
an -particle with the same energy and following the same initial path as in
(c)(i).

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IB Questionbank Physics 38
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(2)

IB Questionbank Physics 39
 (d) Estimate the distance of closest approach to a gold nucleus (Z = 79) of an -
particle with an initial kinetic energy of 4.0 MeV.

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(3)
(Total 13 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 40