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2003 - Q2

 

Which of the following is a transuranic element?

 

(A) Caesium

(B) Cerium

(C) Chromium

(D) Curium

2003 - Q3

 

Which instrument is used to detect radiation from radioactive iostopes?

 

(A) pH meter

(B) Geiger counter

(C) Ion- selective electrode

(D) Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS)

2005 - Q1

 

Which of the following conditions would produce a radioactive isotope?

 

(A) Too many atoms in the sample provided

(B) Too many protons and neutrons in the atom

(C) Too many electrons in the outer shell of the atom

(D) Too many electrons for the number of neutrons in the atom

2006 - Q3

2008 - Q1

 

Which of the following radiations is measured with a Geiger counter?

 

(A) Beta

(B) Infrared

(C) Microwave

(D) Ultraviolet

2009 - Q1

 

Which of the following is an important factor in predicting the nuclear stability of an isotope?

 

(A) Atomic radius

(B) Nuclear radius

(C) The ratio of neutrons to protons

(D) The ratio of electrons to protons

2010 - Q2

 

Which of the following is an example of a transuranic element?

 

(A) C–14

(B) Co–60

(C) U–238

(D) Cm–249

2011 - Q7

 

Which of the following lists contains ONLY unstable isotopes?

2001 - Q16 (3 marks)

 

Radioisotopes are used in industry, medicine and chemical analysis. For ONE of those fields, relate the use of a named radioisotope to its properties.

2002 - Q19 (5 marks)

 

(a) Describe the conditions under which a nucleus is unstable (2 marks)

 

(b) The following is a flow diagram showing the sequence of products released during the decay of uranium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use examples from the flow diagram to describe processes by which an unstable isotope undergoes radioactive decay. (3 marks)

2003 - Q18 (4 marks)

 

Describe how commercial radioisotopes are produced, and how transuranic elements are produced.

2004 - Q26 (4 marks)

 

Discuss the benefits and problems associated with the use of ONE radioactive isotope in industry.

2007 - Q19 (7 marks)

 

There are many benefits and problems associated with the use of radioisotopes in industry and medicine.

 

Evaluate the impact on society of the use of radioisotopes in both industry and medicine. In your answer, give examples of specific radioisotopes, making reference to their chemical properties.

2011 - Q23 (3 marks)

 

(a) Element 112 was first synthesised in 1996 and officially named in 2009 as copernicium, Cn. Explain why the transuranic isotope Cn - 278  is unstable. (1 mark)

 

(b) Describe a method by which transuranic elements can be synthesised. (2 marks)

2012 - Q27 (3 marks)

 

Iodine-131 decays through both beta and gamma emission. Iodine-123 decays through gamma emission only.

 

(a) Iodine-131 is used for diagnosis and therapy whereas Iodine-123 is used only for diagnosis.

 

                                          beta emission                        gamma emission

Emitted particle                    electron                                  gamma-ray

 

Ability to pass through             low                                             high

biological tissue

 

With reference to the information and the table, justify the different uses of these two radioisotopes. (2 marks)

 

(b) Write the equation representing the decay of Iodine-131 by beta emission. (1 mark)

2012 - Q6

 

Cobalt-60 is produced according to the equation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where would a commercial quantity of cobalt-60 be produced?

 

(A) Cyclotron

(B) Scintillator

(C) Nuclear reactor

(D) Particle accelerator

2014 - Q21 (3 marks)

 

The transuranic artificial element curium–242 can be produced in two ways. The nuclear equations for the two processes are given below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compare these two processes of production for the element curium–242.

2015 - Q27 (5 marks)

 

Name a radioisotope used in a non‑medical industry and discuss its use in that industry in terms of its properties. (5 marks)

2015 - Q12

 

A transuranic element can be produced in a nuclear reactor according to this equation:

2016 - Q9

​

Curium is produced according to this equation.

 

 

 

 

What is X in the equation?

 

(A) A proton

(B) A neutron

(C) A beta particle

(D) An alpha particle

2017 - Q6

​

Which of the following is a transuranic element that is most likely to have been produced in a nuclear reactor?

 

(A) Co-60

(B) Np-239

(C) U-238

(D) Hs-265

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