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(a) Complete the table below, by placing a tick ( ) in the relevant columns, to show how an
increase in each of the following properties affects the rate of decay of a sample of
radioactive material.
226
Radium-226 ( 88 Ra) undergoes natural radioactive decay to disintegrate spontaneously with the
emission of an alpha particle (α-particle) to form radon (Rn). The decay constant for this
–4 –1
reaction is 4.30 × 10 yr . The masses of the particles involved in the reaction are
radium: 226.0254 u
radon: 222.0176 u
α-particle: 4.0026 u
–4 –1
(b) (i) Explain what is meant by the statement that the decay constant is 4.30 × 10 yr .
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(2)
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(3)
1
(c) The radium nucleus was stationary before the reaction.
(i) Explain, in terms of the momentum of the particles, why the radon nucleus and the
α-particle move off in opposite directions after the reaction.
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(3)
(ii) The speed of the radon nucleus after the reaction is vR and that of the α-particle is
v
v . Determine the ratio v R .
α
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(3)
A college has been using a sample of radium-226 as an α-particle source for 30 years. Initially,
the mass of radium was 15.0 μg.
(d) Determine
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2
(ii) the number of atoms of radium-226 in the sample after 30 years;
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(iii) the average activity of the sample during the 30 year period.
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(6)
(e) The α-particle is composed of protons and neutrons. Describe, by reference to the
structure of the proton and the neutron, why they are not classed as fundamental particles.
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(3)
Another type of nuclear reaction is a fusion reaction. This reaction is the main source of the
Sun’s radiant energy.
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(3)
3
(ii) Explain why the temperature and pressure of the gases in the Sun’s core must both
be very high for it to produce its radiant energy.
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(5)
(Total 30 marks)
(a) Possible particle reactions are given below. They cannot take place because they violate
one or more conservation laws. For each reaction identify one conservation law that is
violated.
– –
(i) μ ®e +γ
0
(ii) p+n®p+π
+ –
(iii) p®π +π
4
(b) State the name of the exchange particle(s) involved in the strong interaction.
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(1)
(Total 4 marks)
–
When a K meson collides with a proton, the following reaction can take place.
– 0 +
K +p®K +K +X
K
+ us
K
0 ds
–
(a) State and explain whether the original K particle is a hadron, a lepton or an exchange
particle.
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(2)
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(2)
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(c) The quark structure of particle X is sss. Show that the reaction is consistent with the
theory that hadrons are composed of quarks.
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(2)
(Total 6 marks)
A neutron can decay into a proton, an electron and an antineutrino according to the reaction
n ® p + e + ve .
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(1)
(b) State the name of the fundamental interaction (force) that is responsible for this decay.
(1)
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(1)
(Total 3 marks)
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(1)
6
(ii) the particle that gives rise to the force between quarks.
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(1)
+
(b) Outline in terms of conservations laws, why the interaction v + p = n + e is observed but
+
the interaction v + p = n + e has never been observed. (You may assume that mass-
energy and momentum are conserved in both interactions.)
(3)
(Total 5 marks)
p ro to n p a rtic le X
-p a rtic le
p a rtic le Y
n e u tro n
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(1)
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(1)
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(1)
(Total 3 marks)
7
The decay process of a neutron is given by the following equation.
n ® p e ve
– ve
particle n p e
baryon number
lepton number
(2)
(b) Baryon number and lepton number are both conserved in this decay process. State one
other property that is conserved.
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(1)
(Total 3 marks)
Particle production and annihilation are subject to conservation laws. Two of these laws are
conservation of mass-energy and conservation of momentum.
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(3)
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(b) Free neutrons are unstable. A neutron may decay to become a proton with the emission of
an electron. A student represents the decay by the following equation.
1 1
0 n® 1 p 10e
(i) State, by reference to conservation laws, why the student’s equation is not correct.
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(1)
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(1)
(Total 5 marks)
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(1)
(ii) Determine whether the virtual particle in the process represented by the Feynman
+ – 0
diagram is a W , a W or a Z boson.
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(2)
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± 0 –2
(b) The order of magnitude of the mass of the W and Z bosons is 100 GeV c . Estimate the
range of the weak interaction.
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(3)
(Total 6 marks)
(a) Explain why the three quarks in the proton do not violate the Pauli exclusion principle.
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(2)
1
. Explain how it is possible for the proton to also have spin 12 .
(b) Quarks have spin 2
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(2)
(Total 4 marks)
10
11. This question is about fundamental interactions.
–
(a) The Feynman diagram below represents a b decay via the weak interaction process.
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(1)
(ii) Detemine whether the virtual particle in the process represented by the Feynman
+ – 0
diagram is a W , a W or a Z boson.
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(2)
± 0 –2
(b) The order of magnitude of the mass of the W and Z bosons is 100 GeV c . Estimate the
range of the weak interaction.
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(3)
(Total 6 marks)
(a) Explain why the three quarks in the proton do not violate the Pauli exclusion principle.
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(2)
11
1
. Explain how it is possible for the proton to also have spin 12 .
(b) Quarks have spin 2
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(2)
(Total 4 marks)
(a) In a synchrotron ring, a beam of protons and another beam of antiprotons move in
opposite directions through regions of electric and magnetic fields as they circle the ring.
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(1)
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(1)
(b) Explain why the magnitudes of the magnetic fields in a synchrotron must be increased as
the energy of the accelerated particles increases.
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(3)
12
(c) The neutral lambda baryon and its antiparticle may be produced in proton-antiproton
collisions according to the following reaction.
p p®
The minimum energy required to produce the and the is 2240 MeV. The rest mass
–2
of the proton is 938 MeV c .
Calculate the minimum kinetic energy, EK, of the antiproton, in order to produce the
and particles when
(i) the proton and the antiproton are each accelerated to a kinetic energy EK;
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(1)
(ii) the antiproton is accelerated to a kinetic energy EK and collides with a stationary
proton.
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(3)
(d) By reference to your answers to (c), state an advantage of collisions between protons and
antiprotons in a synchrotron compared with collisions between stationary protons and
moving antiprotons.
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(1)
(Total 10 marks)
13
14. (a) Outline
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(2)
(ii) how deep inelastic scattering experiments give evidence in support of the existence
of quarks and gluons.
quarks: .......................................................................................................
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gluons: .......................................................................................................
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(4)
(b) Deep inelastic scattering experiments indicate that the quarks inside hadrons behave as
free particles. Suggest a reason for this.
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(2)
(c) State two fundamental differences between the standard model for quarks and leptons and
the theory of strings.
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(2)
(Total 10 marks)
14