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CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science P5.2.2 The three types of nuclear emission Exam Style Questions Paper 1

CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science Paper 1 - All Chapters

Question

A teacher handles a radioactive source with tongs that are 10 cm long.

Using the tongs protects the teacher from one type of ionising radiation.

Which type of radiation from the source is the teacher protected from?

A. alpha (α)-particles
B. beta (β)-particles
C. gamma (γ)-rays
D. X-rays

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Alpha particles have the least penetrating ability and can be stopped by a few centimetres of air or a piece of paper.
Tongs providing a distance of 10 cm in air would be sufficient to protect against alpha radiation, as alpha particles cannot travel that far.
Beta particles and gamma rays have greater penetration and would require more shielding.
✅ Answer: (A)

Question

A box is made from aluminium that is 20 mm thick.

Which statement explains why this box is not used to store all types of radioactive materials?

A. It only prevents the escape of α-particles and β-particles.
B. It only prevents the escape of α-particles.
C. It only prevents the escape of β-particles and γ-rays.
D. It only prevents the escape of γ-rays.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
A 20 mm thick aluminium box is sufficient to stop alpha particles (stopped by a few cm of air) and beta particles (stopped by a few mm of aluminium). However, gamma rays are highly penetrating and require several centimetres of lead or very thick concrete to be stopped. Therefore, this box would only prevent the escape of alpha and beta particles, but gamma rays would pass through.
✅ Answer: (A)

Question

Which row describes the relative ionising effect and the relative penetrating ability of alpha and gamma radiation?

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Alpha particles are large and heavily charged, giving them a strong ionising effect but poor penetrating ability.
Gamma rays have no charge and very little mass, making them weakly ionising but highly penetrating.
This gives: alpha is more ionising, while gamma is more penetrating.
✅ Answer: (B)

Question

The diagram represents three types of ionising radiation L, M and N directed towards a sheet of paper, a sheet of aluminium foil and a block of lead.

The diagram shows whether each type of radiation penetrates each of the materials.

Which row identifies the radiations L, M and N?

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Alpha radiation is stopped by paper, beta radiation passes through paper but is stopped by aluminium foil, and gamma radiation passes through both paper and aluminium but is greatly reduced by lead.
Matching the penetrating power shown for L, M and N in the diagram against these known properties identifies the correct radiation type for each.
✅ Answer: (C)

Question

How do the ionising effect and the penetrating ability of alpha-emissions compare with those of beta-emissions?

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Alpha particles are large and heavily charged, so they interact strongly with atoms they pass, making them highly ionising, but this also means they lose their energy very quickly.
Because of this rapid energy loss, alpha particles can only travel a short distance and are stopped easily (e.g. by paper or skin), making them far less penetrating than beta particles.
Beta particles are smaller and less charged, so they ionise less per collision but travel further, making them more penetrating than alpha.
✅ Answer: (B)
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