1
1 A radiation detector in a laboratory records a reading of 10 counts / min. There are no radioactive
samples in the laboratory.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5700 years. There are atoms of carbon-14 in all living organisms.
An archaeologist digs up some ancient wood. In the laboratory, a sample of this ancient wood gives
a reading of 20 counts / min. An equivalent sample of living wood gives a reading of 80 counts / min.
It is suggested that the age of the ancient sample is 11 400 years.
Do a calculation to check whether this suggestion is correct.
[4]
[Total: 4]
2 With no radioactive sample present, a scientist records a background radiation count of
40 counts / minute.
The scientist brings a radioactive sample close to the detector. The count rate increases to 200
counts / minute.
After 24 days the count rate is 50 counts / minute.
Calculate the half-life of the radioactive sample.
half-life = .............................................. [4]
[Total: 4]
3 Thorium-234 ( ) is radioactive. It decays by β-emission to form an isotope of protactinium
(Pa).
2
(a) A pure sample of thorium-234 emits β-particles at a count rate of 2480 counts/second. The
half-life of thorium-234 is 24 days.
Calculate the count rate for the emission of β-particles from the thorium in the sample after
72 days have passed.
count rate .............................................. [3]
(b) The isotope of protactinium produced by the decay of Thorium-234 is also radioactive. It decays
by β-emission and has a half-life of 70 seconds.
State and explain how this would affect the observed count rate for the sample in (a) after
72 days.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................... [3]
[Total: 6]
4 The isotope radon-220 is radioactive.
The half-life of radon-220 is 56 s.
6
A sample of this isotope contains 7.2 × 10 atoms.
Predict the number of α-particles that the radon-220 in the sample emits in the next 168 s.
number of α-particles emitted = .............................................. [3]
[Total: 3]
3
5 Thorium is radioactive and has a half-life of 26 hours. At a certain time, a pure sample of this isotope
9
initially contains 4.8 × 10 atoms.
Calculate the number of atoms of this sample that decay in the following 52 hours.
number = .............................................. [3]
[Total: 3]
6 Radon-222 is radioactive and has a half-life of 3.8 days.
6
At a certain time, a sample contains 6.4 × 10 radon nuclei.
Calculate the number of α-particles emitted by the radon nuclei in the following 7.6 days.
number = ..................................... [3]
[Total: 3]
4
7 The rate of emission of a radioactive source is measured until the reading reaches the
background rate of 20 counts per minute.
The results are shown.
200
190
180
rate of emission
170
counts / minute
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
time / minute
What is the best estimate of the half-life of the source?
A 10 minutes
B 12 minutes
C 14 minutes
D 30 minutes
[1]
[Total: 1]
8 A sample of a radioactive isotope emits particles at a rate of 240 per minute.
After 48 hours the rate of emission has decreased to 15 per minute.
What is the half-life of the radioactive material?
A 4.0 hours B 8.0 hours C 12 hours D 16 hours
[1]
5
[Total: 1]
9 A student determines the half-life of a radioactive isotope.
The student uses a detector over five minutes and plots a graph showing how the count rate
shown on the detector varies with time.
The count rate due to background radiation is 30 counts per minute.
250
count rate
counts / minute 200
150
100
50
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
time / minutes
What is the half-life of this isotope?
A 0.30 minutes
B 1.2 minutes
C 1.5 minutes
D 5.0 minutes
[1]
[Total: 1]
10 The carbon in the body of all animals contains some radioactive carbon. At the time when any
animal dies, each gram of carbon in its body emits about 16 -particles per minute.
Some animal remains are discovered. It is found that 4 -particles are emitted per minute for
each gram of carbon in the remains.
The half-life of radioactive carbon is 6000 years.
How old are the remains of the animal?
A 1500 years B 3000 years C 6000 years D 12 000 years
[1]
[Total: 1]
6
11 The graph shows the decay curve for a sample of carbon-14.
Use the graph to determine the half-life of carbon-14.
half-life = ............................................... years [2]
[Total: 2]
12 The count rate of a radioactive sample is 2400 counts per minute at 10 am on one day. The half-life
of the sample is two days.
Predict the count rate at 10 am four days later.
count rate = .............................................. counts per minute [3]
[Total: 3]
7
13 A teacher measures the count rate of a radioactive isotope.
A graph of her results is shown.
Determine the half-life of the radioactive isotope. Use information from the graph.
Show on the graph how you obtained your value.
half-life = .............................................. minutes [3]
[Total: 3]
14 An isotope of barium-137 has a half-life of 3 minutes.
A radioactive source contains 36 mg of this isotope.
Calculate the mass of the isotope that remains in the source after 9 minutes.
mass of the isotope remaining = .............................................. mg [3]
[Total: 3]
8
15 Americium-241 has a half-life of 432 years.
A sample contains 16 mg of americium-241.
Calculate the time it takes until only 4.0 mg of americium-241 are left in the sample.
time = .............................................. years [2]
[Total: 2]
16 The diagram shows the decay curve for a radioactive material.
(a) Use information from the graph to determine the half-life of the material. Clearly show how
you used the graph to obtain your answer.
half-life = .............................................. minutes [3]
9
(b) Another radioactive material with the same half-life has an initial count rate of 600 counts / min.
On the diagram sketch the decay curve for this material.
[1]
[Total: 4]
17 Radium-226 has a half-life of 1600 years.
A sample contains 8.0 mg of radium-226.
Calculate the time for the sample to decay until only 1.0 mg of radium-226 remains.
time = .............................................. years [2]
[Total: 2]
10
18 The graph shows the decay curve for a radioactive substance.
Use the graph to determine the half-life of the radioactive substance.
half-life = .............................................. minutes [3]
[Total: 3]
19 Carbon-14 is radioactive with a half-life of 5700 years.
An animal bone is dug up in an archaeological excavation. The quantity of carbon-14 in the bone
is 25% of what it was when the bone was buried.
Calculate the time that has elapsed since it was buried.
time = .............................................. years [2]
11
[Total: 2]
20 Astatine-210 is a radioactive material. It has a half-life of 8 hours.
The mass of a sample of astatine-210 is 0.500 kg.
Calculate how long it takes for 0.375 kg of the sample to decay.
decay time = .............................................. hours [3]
[Total: 3]
21 Astatine-210 is a radioactive material. It has a half-life of 8 hours.
The count rate of a sample of astatine-210 is measured over 24 hours.
On the diagram, sketch a line to show how the count rate changes over the 24 hours.
[2]
[Total: 2]
12
22 The half-life of iridium-194 is 19 hours. A sample of iridium-194 has an initial count-rate of
1100 counts / min.
Calculate the count-rate from this sample after 38 hours.
count-rate = .............................................. [2]
[Total: 2]
23 Scientists use carbon-14 to estimate the age of wood that is very old.
8
A very old sample of wood contains 1.0 × 10 carbon-14 atoms.
8
When the sample was new, it contained 8.0 × 10 carbon-14 atoms.
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5700 years.
Estimate the age of the sample of wood.
age of wood = .............................................. years [3]
[Total: 3]
13
24 Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen. It can be represented by .
The graph shows how the activity of a sample of tritium varies with time.
Use the graph to calculate the half-life of tritium. Show clearly how you used the graph.
half-life = .............................................. years [3]
[Total: 3]
25 A sample of rock includes some uranium-239.
The half-life of uranium-239 is 23 minutes.
Determine the fraction of the uranium-239 that remains after 46 minutes.
fraction remaining = .............................................. [2]
14
[Total: 2]
26 A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 6.0 years.
A sample of this isotope has a mass of 12 mg.
Calculate the mass of this isotope that remains in the sample after 18 years.
mass remaining = .............................................. mg [3]
[Total: 3]
27 A radioactive substance has a half-life of 120 hours.
Calculate the time for it to decay to 25% of its original amount.
time = ............................................................. hours [2]
[Total: 2]
28 Americium-241 is a radioactive isotope. It has a half-life of 400 years.
A sample contains americium-241. Calculate the percentage of americium-241 that remains in the
sample after 800 years have passed.
percentage remaining = ........................................................ % [2]
[Total: 2]
29 The half-life of carbon-14 is 5700 years.
Explain what is meant by the term half-life.
..................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................. [1]
15
[Total: 1]
30 The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 4.0 years.
A sample of this material contains 24 million radioactive nuclei.
How many of these radioactive nuclei remain undecayed after 12 years?
A 0.5 million
B 2.0 million
C 3.0 million
D 6.0 million
[1]
[Total: 1]
31 The graph shows a decay curve for iodine-131
Use information from the graph to determine the half-life of iodine-131. Show clearly how you used
the graph.
half-life = .......................................................... days [3]
[Total: 3]
16
32 A radioactive isotope is placed near a detector. The readings on the detector are corrected for
background radiation and recorded every hour.
The table shows the corrected readings.
time / hours 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
count rate / counts per second 500 375 280 210 160
What is the half-life of the isotope?
A between 0 and 1 hour
B between 1 hour and 2 hours
C between 2 hours and 3 hours
D between 3 hours and 4 hours
[1]
[Total: 1]
33 When an 8.0 g sample of radon decays, it turns into other nuclides, as shown.
4g
other 6g
7g
nuclides other
8g other
nuclides ?
radon nuclides
4g
radon 2g
radon 1 g radon
time = 0 after after after after
one minute two minutes three minutes four minutes
How much radon will there be after four minutes?
A 0 B 0.5 g C 7.5 g D 8.0 g
[1]
[Total: 1]
34 A teacher carries out two experiments at the same time.
In the first experiment the count rate for a sample of a radioactive isotope is measured every 30
seconds for 6 minutes.
The results are shown in the table.
17
count rate
time / minutes
counts / second
0.0 1246
0.5 1036
1.0 941
1.5 810
2.0 686
2.5 621
3.0 550
3.5 468
4.0 421
4.5 368
5.0 318
5.5 280
6.0 242
(a) Estimate the half-life of the radioactive isotope. Use the information in the table.
half-life = .............................................. minutes [1]
(b) In the second experiment the teacher repeats the procedure with another sample of the same
radioactive isotope. The mass of the second sample is greater than that of the first sample.
Suggest a value for the count rate for this sample at the start of the experiment.
count rate = .............................................. counts / second [1]
[Total: 2]
18
35 The table shows the count rates obtained from four radioactive sources. The measurements were
taken at noon on four consecutive days.
Which source has the longest half-life?
count rate / counts per second
day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4
A 100 48 27 11
B 200 142 99 69
C 300 297 292 290
D 400 202 99 48
[1]
[Total: 1]
36 The half-life of radon-220 is 56 s. A sample of radon-220 is in a container. After 112 s the mass
of radon-220 is 9.2 mg.
Calculate the mass of the original sample.
mass = ..................................................... [2]
[Total: 2]
